As the Christmas party seasons gets into full swing, police have reminded revellers that drinking and driving is one Christmas tradition we can do without.

Statistics show that, both nationally and in Swindon, the number of people caught drink driving is falling.

But police are warning partygoers that the only way to be safe drivers is not to drink at all.

This week they launched their THINK campaign, giving 535 good reasons not to drink and drive that's the number of alcometers available to police in the four counties of Wiltshire, Gloucestershire, Avon and Somerset this Christmas.

Speaking at the national launch of the campaign, Lord Whitty said: "We hope this hard-hitting campaign will serve as a reminder to people of the very real dangers of drink-driving."

"Christmas is a time for having fun and, for many, enjoying a drink or two. But people have to behave responsibly."

Running parallel to the Christmas campaign is the I'll be DES initiative, suggesting drinkers choose one person at the beginning of the night to be their designated driver, who will stay sober.

Sgt Dave Melvin, Wiltshire police's accident prevention officer, said: "The figures show that drink driving in Wiltshire is declining but the figure of over 1,000 positive tests last year is far too high to become complacent.

"Drink-driving is still a factor in one in seven road deaths, and these are deaths which are preventable.

"We are asking all concerned to be responsible over the Christmas period and not ruin it for anyone else."

Police are also keen to make drivers aware of the fact that getting transport home is not the end of their responsibilities.

After an evening's drinking you could still have enough alcohol in your system to put you over the limit the following day.

The Guild of Experienced Motorists have warned drivers that it is not just alcohol which can impair driving ability. As many as 1,500 road crashes each year could be as a result of the side effects of legal drugs and medicines which cause drowsiness.

'It was all my own stupid fault'

I had no idea where I was when I left the pub. All I remember was coming into the police station.

I'd reversed my partner's car into a concrete bollard in the pub's car park, doing £1,300 of damage to the car's rear end.

Within about ten yards of driving out of the pub's car park the police stopped me. I was three and a half times over the limit.

The pub said that I'd drunk five pints of Guinness and three large whiskies.

I may well have drunk more than that at the pub, and I'd had a bottle of whisky before getting to the pub anyway.

It turned out the police were watching me as I drove around the car park. I'm bitter, angry that they didn't stop me before I got into the car.

I don't hold a grudge against the police for my punishment. I deserved everything I got, it was my own stupid fault.

What I'm angry about is the fact that I was a danger to the public and the police still allowed me to drive, if only for the shortest of distances.

I could have done something much more serious than run into a concrete bollard.

When this happened I was an alcoholic drinking 500 units a week (a pint of beer is roughly two units).

The drink drive conviction meant that I had to kick the alcohol but it wasn't as simple as that.

If I had not given up alcohol completely back then, I would have been dead within a fortnight. Right now, I'm drinking the bare minimum, around 20 to 30 units per week (21 units is the Government's recommended alcohol intake for a male adult).

In a perverse way, being caught drink driving actually proved the catalyst for my recovery. It made me determined to get on a course and able to hold down a job."