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Christmas drink and drug driving campaign
results now in
MERSEYSIDE Police are pleased to
announce that the majority of motorists in Merseyside drove responsibly over
the Christmas period. During the Christmas drink and drug driving campaign
that ran from 1 December 2016, until 31 December 2015, Officers carried out
a total of 7,925 breath tests and arrested 224 people for drink or drug
driving related offences. It is the 1st Christmas drink and drug drive
campaign since legislation was introduced in March 2015 to make it easier
for Police to tackle drug drivers. The law made it illegal to drive with
certain drugs above specified blood levels in the body whether driving is
impaired or not. These limits are set at very low levels for 8 illegal
drugs, including cannabis and cocaine, and 8 medicines that have been set at
a higher limit. Merseyside Police have been using roadside testing kits to
trace drugs in drivers. If the test result is positive, a blood or urine
sample is taken, with no need to call a doctor to confirm the presence of a
condition due to drugs. Sergeant Paul Mountford, from the Roads Policing
Unit said:- "I am really encouraged to see that 98% per cent of the
people we tested were driving responsibly. However, it is disappointing that
we have seen a slight increase in motorists drug driving or over the drink
drive limit. While they represent a small minority of drivers, I cannot
stress enough the danger that these people present, not just to themselves,
but to other road users too. We are committed to tackling drink and drug
driving throughout the year, not just during the Christmas period. Any
driver involved in a road traffic collision, or who commits a traffic
offence, can expect to be breathalysed at any time in the year, and may be
required to perform an impairment test. During the month long campaign, 66
people were arrested on drug driving offences. This was largely the result
of the new drug driving legislation and shows a significant increase
compared to last year when there were only 8 arrests. A total of 158
people were arrested for drink driving; a decrease on last year when 207
were arrested. Again, it's encouraging that people have listened to our
messages over the Christmas period. However, the overall figures for 2015 do
indicate an increase in drug driving. We made 325 arrests in 2015, compared
to 110 arrests in 2014. Drugs were found in 98% of the specimens that were
submitted to the forensic labs (between March to November 2015) and 73% of
those cases resulted in drivers being prosecuted. The current drug driving
legislation makes the process of prosecuting drug drivers much simpler. Our
message to those drivers would be don't risk it. The consequences of being
caught can be long lasting and life changing. We will remain vigilant
throughout 2016 to detect those drivers who present a risk to others." |
