It’s the season of celebration and the Plan B Win a Swag promotion is back to remind anyone planning on drinking with family and friends over the holiday period that planning how they’ll get home safely should be a key part of their preparations. Throughout December 2024 and January 2025 more than 50 licensed venues across the Parkes, Forbes and Lachlan Shire Councils will join 300 participating venues across regional NSW in this Transport for NSW initiative. Parkes, Forbes and Lachlan Shire Councils' Road Safety and Injury Prevention Officer, Melanie Suitor, said the message is clear: if you plan to drink, plan not to drive and have a Plan B. "You might think you’re ok to get behind the wheel but even a few drinks can affect your driving, placing you and others on the road at risk," she said. "We want people to make planning their trip home as much a part of planning an afternoon or night out as choosing where you’re going or what you’re wearing. "The Plan B Win a Swag promotion encourages the conversation about planning safe ways to get home. "In many of our smaller villages there isn't public transport or a courtesy bus available, so this promotion prompts patrons to think of other alternatives to get home safely." Patrons at participating hotels, clubs and bottle shops can complete an entry form that asks what their Plan B for getting home safely is. They then go in the draw to win a swag valued at over $250. Each venue has a swag to give away, with winners drawn at the end of January. Drink driving played a role in 17 per cent of the state's fatal crashes between 2018 and 2022. The impact is even greater in the bush with a little over 50 per cent of all alcohol-related crashes in that same time period occurring on country roads. “The good news is we have seen a fall in the number of alcohol-related fatal crashes across NSW from 55 in 2019 to 35 in 2022, but there’s still a long way to go. We all have a role to play,” Ms Suitor said. NSW Police will also be out in force conducting random breath testing during the holiday season. Double demerits will be in force from Friday December 20, 2024 to Wednesday January 1, 2025 inclusive. Drink driving is a serious offence - penalties can include loss of licence, fines, prison terms and a requirement to install an alcohol interlock device.
