BANNED TV STAR SAYS “DON’T DRINK AND DRIVE” - Monday, February 18th, 2008
It could be in the Coronation Street script but this time it is no soap story as actor Simon Gregson gives out a real life message outside the Rovers Return after attending a TTC drink drive rehabilitation course
Coronation Street TV star Simon Gregson, who plays Steve McDonald in the popular soap, has appealed to people never to drink and drive.
The 32-year-old actor said he had learned his lesson and now knew “so much more” about alcohol after attending a rehabilitation course following his recent conviction for drink driving.
Simon, who has a new five month old baby son Alfie, joined seven other offenders at a venue in Altrincham to learn about alcohol and its effects during an 18 hour course held over three days by the TTC Group – the UK’s largest provider of education for convicted drink drivers.
“I had so many reservations about attending the course but it was great. The trainers and the other people on the course were brilliant. I was genuinely interested. There is so much information on alcohol that we didn’t know and everyone should know about,” he said.
He is calling for young drivers to take the course as part of their test and for pubs, clubs and restaurants to publicise units and how long alcohol stays in the blood to prevent people driving while over the limit the next day.
Speaking on the set of the Rovers Return, Simon said he had always believed that the body “got rid” of one pint of beer every hour.
He was fined £3,000 with £1,000 costs and banned for 16 months last month after being caught with a reading of 60 micrograms – the limit is 35 – on his way home from a charity event.
“I was calculating my drinks as losing one pint an hour. I now know that is total rubbish. It is one unit of alcohol on average that the body gets rid of every hour. People need to know about units.”
Simon said he wanted to warn people to avoid being caught over the drink drive limit the next day.
“There must be goodness knows how many people driving to work over the limit the next day,” said Simon.
TTC trainer Martin Bowen, who ran the course attended by Simon and seven other convicted drink drivers, said the TV actor “got stuck in” and contributed to the course which involves classroom debate on alcohol issues.
He praised him for speaking out about alcohol in a bid to raise public awareness.
“We need to get the message over that people should not drink any alcohol at all if they are going to drive.
“Our attitude to alcohol is different to everywhere else in the world. People in other countries don’t get drunk every Saturday night – but many people in the UK do. They don’t think they have had a good night otherwise.”
There is so much information on alcohol that people just don’t know about, says Simon Gregson pictured here with TTC trainer Martin Bowen behind the Rovers Return bar
END
Note to news editor:
The TTC Group (Telford Training Consultants), of Hadley Park, Telford, Shropshire, run a third of the UK’s education courses for convicted drink drivers which have been acclaimed for reducing re-offending rates. They also run corporate driving, speed awareness courses and the National Driver Improvement Course as part of their aim to reduce the death and injury toll on UK roads.
They put more than 10,000 convicted drink drivers through their courses every year. People who attend the course receive a quarter off their driving ban.
The Princess Royal officially opened their new HQ in October last year. Director Graham Wynn, who started the rehabilitation course with his wife Jenny in 2000, received the OBE for services to road safety in 2006.
For more information contact the TTC Group on 0845 270 4380 or visit www.ttc-uk.com
