Durham crash death mum calls for drink awareness test

The mother of a County Durham man who was killed in a crash has called for drink-drive awareness to be part of the driving test.

Nick Davidson, 27, died when the car he was in crashed into a tree near Barnard Castle in August 2014.

The driver - who also died - was subsequently found to be over the drink-drive limit.

Mr Davidson's mother, Anita Thompson, is backing a Christmas drink/drug driving campaign.

Road Safety GB North East and the emergency services across the region are starting their campaign this week.

Ms Thompson told BBC Radio Tees: "It was a really horrific accident. [The driver] wasn't steaming drunk, but he had been drinking and was over the limit.

"It's coming up to Christmas party time and it's that idea of thinking 'oh, I'll just have a couple of drinks', or you've had a good drink the night before and you think 'oh I feel fine, I'll be OK to drive' the next morning when, in fact, you're probably still over the limit. That's still putting lives at risk.

"People should be educated, or do part of it as their driving test, to give them a little bit of insight into the dangers and how to drive safely and what can happen if the worst does happen.

"If people knew what the consequences are to families they just wouldn't do it."