The police have launched a brief video encouraging people to not drink and drive this festive season.

In the minute-long clip, a child can be seen drawing a police car as his father, off-camera, heads out.

“Who’s giving you a lift?” the child asks his father, who replies that a colleague will be doing so.

The video then cuts to two men, one staggering, walking to a car after a drinking session. The drunker of the two asks his friend to take the keys and drive them home.

But as the designated driver settles into the car seat, he realises that he’s also been drinking.

At that point, the child’s question – “who’s giving you a lift?” - starts to ring in his ears, and we learn that the designated driver is the father we did not see earlier.

As the father's recollection swirls, we see that the child is no longer drawing a police car. Now, he is colouring in an ambulance.

After a few moments, and thinking of his son, the man decides it’s safer if the two just call a cab and fetch the car the next day. His friend agrees.

The European Commission estimates that as many as one in every four road deaths across the EU is alcohol-related. Drink-driving tends to escalate during the holiday season, due to a multitude of social events.

Malta’s police force responds by increasing its roadside presence during this time of year, with more roadblocks across the island.