With summer holiday season in full swing, road safety officers are reminding people that no amount of alcohol is safe when it comes to driving or riding.

Police forces and road safety partnerships across the UK are coming together this month for a campaign to highlight the impact that drink and drug driving can have on communities.

The message is if you’re planning to have an alcoholic drink, leave the car at home. The only safe amount when driving or riding is ZERO.

A spokeswoman for South Yorkshire Safer Roads Partnership said: “Even though this summer has been a bit of a washout so far, we know that typically at this time of year people like to enjoy BBQs with friends or head to a beer garden.

“Weather permitting, one of the best things about the summer months, is getting outside and enjoying the longer evenings and warmer climes.

“But with this comes the added risk of thinking you’re ok to get behind the wheel under the influence of drink or drugs which significantly increases your risk of being involved in a collision.

“Avoid the temptation by always planning how you are getting home whether that’s booking a taxi, walking, using public transport or taking it in turns to be a designated driver.”

Driving or riding under the influence of drink or drugs affects your ability to judge speed and distance as well as your reaction times and coordination skills.

If you are caught, you may banned from driving, have points added on your licence, an unlimited fine, or even imprisonment. This will mean increased insurance costs, potential job loss and restrictions on travel to other countries such as the United States.

The spokeswoman added: “Even though there is a legal limit to how much alcohol can be in a person’s system before they can drive, it is impossible to say how many drinks or units it will take to reach it.

“It all depends on how much you’ve eaten, your weight, your metabolism – there are just so many variables.

“There is also no way of knowing how long it will take for alcohol to be processed by your body meaning it is possible to still be over the legal limit the following day.

“The reality is that there is no safe limit for the amount of alcohol or drugs you can have before driving or riding.”

SYSRP drink and drug drive campaign is part of the partners’ commitment to Vision Zero – an ambition to end all death and serious injury on South Yorkshire roads.

Partners deliver a programme of education, engineering and enforcement throughout the year to create a safe transport system and encourage safe road use.

The first milestone in the Vision Zero ambition is to halve the number of people killed or seriously injured in a road traffic collision by the year 2030.