Today (Friday 1 December) marks the beginning of the annual
police operation to stop people driving under the influence of
drugs or alcohol.
All police forces in England and Wales will be running
intelligence-led operations across the country to target drink
and drug driving in areas where they are more commonplace and
particularly around Christmas and New Year’s Eve.
Alongside operational activity, forces are sharing
awareness campaigns to remind people that it is never worth the
risk to get behind the wheel while under the influence of alcohol
or drugs.
This year police forces are also telling the stories of
people across the country who are facing Christmas without loved
ones because of drink or drug driving. Greater Manchester Police
are working with Elaine, a mother from Flixton who lost her 27
year old son James in 2009. Elaine works with police, Greater
Manchester Fire and Rescue Service and other campaigners to focus
on preventing the harm caused by drink and drug driving by saying
clearly: the only sensible amount to drink before driving is
none.
We are calling for everyone to understand that getting
behind the wheel after drinking or using drugs is a lapse in
judgement that can have terrible consequences.
National Police Chiefs’ Council Lead for Roads Policing,
Chief Constable Anthony Bangham said:
“Every year police forces deal with cases of drink or drug
driving that directly result in families facing Christmas without
loved ones. Yet thousands of people still get behind the wheel
after drinking or taking drugs – so this year we are supporting
forces who want to tell the personal stories of lives lost and
families torn apart.
“Our recent operations have shown higher rates of detection
for drugs and alcohol than in recent years which means the scale
of the problem is still a real concern. We remain committed to
enforcing the law which says that if you drive while under the
influence of alcohol or drugs you can face an unlimited fine,
disqualification from driving, and more than a decade in prison.
“Even a small amount of alcohol or drugs in your system can
affect your ability to drive safely – don’t let your friends and
family pay the price.”
Notes to editors:
The NPCC drink and drug drive operation runs from 1
December 2017 to 1 January 2018 inclusive and police forces are
supporting throughout. Social media will use the
#WrongForTheRoad.
Our most recent operation in June saw 38,807 vehicles
stopped and more than 3500 breath tests administered that were
positive, failed or refused.
The last Christmas operation in 2016 saw 103,085 vehicle
stopped with 5,698 breath tests that were positive, failed or
refused and forces are aiming for similar reach across the
festive period.
The European TISPOL campaign will run from the
11th December 2017 until the
17th December 2017.
Explanation of positive, refused or failed: Positive is when a
driver is proven by the breathalyser to be over the legal limit,
Refused is when a driver refuses to give an officer a specimen of
breath, Failed is when a driver offers to give a specimen of
breath, but it is not sufficient to determine a result.
