Peterborough pubs offer free drinks to designated drivers, Cambridge 2026

Key Points

• More than 30 pubs, bars and licensed venues across Cambridgeshire and Peterborough have signed up to the I AM DES campaign this summer.
• Participating venues will offer free or reduced-cost soft drinks to designated drivers who identify themselves to staff.
• The initiative is backed by Cambridgeshire Police and the Police and Crime Commissioner to help tackle drink driving during the summer holiday period.
• The scheme builds on previous “I’m DES” / “I AM DES” campaigns run in Cambridgeshire, which previously saw more than 40 venues take part in December.
• Organisers say the aim is to reduce road collisions and deaths linked to alcohol, while supporting people who choose not to drink when driving.

Cambridge (Cambridge Tribune) July 24, 2026 – As the summer holidays begin, the battle to stop drink drivers across Peterborough and Cambridgeshire has begun. More than 30 pubs, bars and licensed venues across the county and city have signed up to the I AM DES campaign, offering free or discounted soft drinks to designated drivers in a bid to reduce alcohol-related road incidents.

The scheme, supported by Cambridgeshire Police and the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC), asks participating venues to provide free or reduced-cost soft drinks to customers who identify themselves as the designated driver for their group. The PCC has said the initiative is intended to encourage safer choices during a period when social drinking in pubs and bars is expected to increase during warmer evenings and late nights.

Which pubs and bars are taking part in the scheme?

Reporting by Peterborough Today and Cambs News indicates that more than 30 venues across Cambridgeshire and Peterborough have joined the I AM DES campaign for summer 2026. While a full, up-to-date list for the current summer phase has not been published in the available reports, previous iterations of the campaign in Cambridgeshire have included well-known venues in Peterborough and surrounding towns.

In earlier phases of the scheme, venues such as Angels in Peterborough, along with multiple Cambridge and Huntingdonshire pubs, took part in the designated driver initiative. In December 2025, three Peterborough bars – The Brewery Tap, The Shed and The Bottle and Board – were reported as participating in the I’m DES scheme, part of a wider county-wide rollout that involved 43 venues across Cambridgeshire at that time.

Organisers have previously asked customers to let staff know they are the designated driver and, if asked, to show their car keys as a simple way to verify their role. The same approach is expected to apply in the current summer phase, although individual venues may set their own procedures within the overall campaign framework.

How does the I AM DES campaign work?

The I AM DES campaign is designed to recognise and support “designated drivers” – the person in a group who agrees not to drink alcohol so they can drive others home safely. Under the scheme, participating venues offer free or cut-price soft drinks to those who identify themselves as the designated driver.

As reported by journalists covering the campaign for Cambs News and the Peterborough Today, the initiative is promoted by Cambridgeshire Police and the Vision Zero Road Safety Partnership, with the aim of reducing road collisions caused by drink driving during high-risk periods such as festive seasons and summer holidays. The PCC’s office has stated that, although major sporting events may have ended, social summer drinking in pubs and bars continues into the late evening, making it an important time to reinforce road safety messages.

Supporters of the scheme describe designated drivers as “heroes” who ensure their friends, family and communities get home safely, and say the campaign is intended to celebrate that role while making it easier to choose not to drink when driving.

What do police and local officials say about the initiative?

Cambridgeshire Police and the Police and Crime Commissioner have publicly backed the I AM DES campaign as part of wider efforts to reduce drink driving in the county. In previous phases of the scheme, police described the participation of more than 40 venues as a significant show of support from the licensed trade for road safety efforts.

The PCC’s office has said it is supporting the campaign because summer social drinking patterns create a continued risk of alcohol-related incidents on the roads, and because encouraging designated drivers can help reduce that risk. Police have previously promoted the message that even small amounts of alcohol can impair driving ability, and that the safest option for anyone planning to drive is not to drink at all.

Local media reporting has highlighted that the campaign forms part of a broader drink-drive crackdown, with police urging people to plan ahead and nominate a designated driver before going out. In earlier coverage, officers noted that many drink-driving collisions occur during evenings and nights when people are travelling home from pubs, bars and social events.

How does this fit into wider road safety efforts in Cambridgeshire?

The I AM DES campaign is linked to the Vision Zero Road Safety Partnership, which works to reduce serious and fatal road injuries across Cambridgeshire. Previous phases of the designated driver scheme were explicitly framed as part of efforts to reduce road collisions caused by drink driving during high-risk periods, particularly over the festive season.

In December 2023, more than 40 pubs and venues across Cambridgeshire signed up to support the force’s drink-drive crackdown, with a further 14 venues in neighbouring counties also participating. By December 2025, the number of participating venues in Cambridgeshire had risen to 43, described at the time as the highest level of participation to date.

The extension of the scheme into the summer period reflects concerns that drink driving is not only a winter or festive-season issue, but a year-round road safety challenge that requires sustained attention from police, licensing authorities and the hospitality sector.

Background to the designated driver initiative in Cambridgeshire

The designated driver scheme in Cambridgeshire has evolved over several years, with different branding including “I’m DES” and “I AM DES”. The core idea remains the same: participating pubs, bars and licensed venues offer free or discounted non-alcoholic drinks to customers who identify themselves as the designated driver for their group.

In 2023, the campaign was promoted heavily over the Christmas period, with police and the Vision Zero Road Safety Partnership highlighting the role of designated drivers in preventing alcohol-related crashes. That year, only one Peterborough venue Angels, described in reports as a gentlemen’s club initially signed up, prompting calls for more local pubs and bars to join.

By 2025, participation had increased, with 43 venues across Cambridgeshire taking part in December, including three Peterborough bars: The Brewery Tap, The Shed and The Bottle and Board. The 2026 summer phase marks a further extension of the concept beyond the traditional winter focus, with more than 30 venues across the county and city now involved during the summer holidays.

Prediction: How could this development affect pub-goers and local communities?

If the I AM DES campaign continues to expand and maintain participation across future summer and winter periods, it is likely to have several effects on pub-goers, local communities and road safety outcomes in Cambridgeshire.

For pub-goers, the scheme lowers the financial and social cost of choosing not to drink when driving, potentially making it easier for groups to agree in advance who will be the designated driver. Regular availability of free or reduced-price soft drinks for designated drivers may normalise the expectation that one person in a group will remain alcohol-free when travelling by car.

For local communities and road safety partners, sustained use of the scheme could contribute to a gradual reduction in alcohol-related road collisions, particularly if it reaches a wide range of venues and is well advertised. Police and the PCC have indicated that the campaign is intended to support broader enforcement and education work, rather than replace it, meaning its impact is likely to be complementary to other measures such as checkpoints, publicity campaigns and licensing engagement.

Over time, if participation remains high and public awareness grows, the scheme could help shift local culture around drinking and driving, reinforcing the idea that being a designated driver is a responsible and socially valued role.