A holiday should end with memories, photographs and a safe journey home. But for some families, the journey home from the airport ends in tragedy, leaving survivors and loved ones to live with a lifetime of heartache and grief.
That is why I am once again supporting Operation Take Off and its simple but potentially life-saving message: do not fly, drink, then drive.
This powerful local campaign was created following a devastating tragedy. In May 2024, baby Zackary Blades and his aunt, Karlene Warner, were killed while travelling home from Newcastle International Airport. The man responsible had just returned from holiday and chose to drive despite being nearly three times over the drink-drive limit.
This was not an unavoidable accident. It was the consequence of a reckless decision that cost two innocent lives and left a family devastated.
Zackary’s mum, Shalorna, survived that horrific collision but lost both her precious baby son and her sister. The courage shown by her and her family in turning unimaginable grief into a determination to protect others deserves more than admiration. It demands action, and Operation Take Off is part of that action.
As thousands of people travel through our airports this summer, we are reminding passengers that alcohol does not leave your bloodstream simply because your flight has landed. If you are driving when you arrive home, the safest choice is simple: do not drink.
We must continue investing in education, prevention and enforcement to tackle drink and drug driving. My ambition is clear: Vision Zero. No deaths on our roads, fewer serious injuries and no family suffering a preventable tragedy because somebody chose to drive impaired.
Do not fly, drink, then drive. One last holiday drink is never worth another person’s life.
Joy Allen
South West Durham News covering news across County Durham.
