Police across Bucks, Beds and Herts launch drink and drug drive campaigns in run up to Christmas
People are being urged to plan how they are going to get home after drinking this festive season
People across Bucks, Beds and Herts are being urged to plan how they are going to get home after drinking this festive season.
Thames Valley, Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire police forces have all launched their annual campaigns to tackle drink and drug driving in the run up to Christmas and New Year.
Officers are also reminding drivers they may still be over the limit the day after drinking.
Motorists caught drink or drug driving face a 12-month ban, a large fine, and a criminal record.
Thames Valley Police
As a result of Op Holly last year, 527 breath tests and 105 drug wipes were carried out in the Thames Valley.
Of those breath tests, 27 were positive and of the drug wipes, 68 were positive.
Sergeant Dave Hazlett, Road Safety Sergeant, of the Joint Operations Roads Policing Unit, said:
“Every year we run Op Holly and every year we find that people still take to the roads having drank too much alcohol or having taken drugs that will impair their driving.
“Having even the slightest amount of alcohol or drugs in your system can have an effect on your ability to drive and will make it more likely that you or another road user could be injured, or in the most serious cases, killed.
“Not only is it important to plan how you are going to get home after drinking so that you are not getting behind the wheel, it is also important to plan the morning after.
“It’s always possible that you may still be over the limit the next morning. It can take hours for alcohol to leave your system and some drugs can stay in your system for a considerable amount of time too.
“Therefore, this festive season, please plan your journeys and think about how you are going to get home to prevent the possibility of families facing Christmas and the future without their loved ones.
“Don’t drink or drug drive – It’s not worth the risk."
Hertfordshire Constabulary
Meanwhile, Hertfordshire Constabulary has warned that driving while under the influence of alcohol or drugs could not only ruin Christmas but destroy lives forever.
Last year, there were 325 fatal or serious injury road traffic collisions in Hertfordshire.
More than 10 per cent of these were relating to driving while under the influence of drugs and/or alcohol.
PC Sam Sparkes has been a Family Liaison Officer for more than 18 years.
She said:
"No amount of training prepares you for the feeling of having to tell someone that their loved one has passed away, especially at this time of year.
"Going to their address, knowing the news you have to deliver is going to tear their world apart – it never gets any easier.
"When you make the decision to drive whilst under the influence of alcohol or drugs, you are making a conscious decision to risk the lives of real people.
"There is no excuse for it: if you are drinking, even if you only plan on having one or two, you should not be driving.
"By choosing to drink and drive, not only are you putting yourself in danger, but you’re risking the lives of your passengers and other law-abiding road users.
"Could you live with yourself if you were responsible for killing someone?
"Could you live with the fact that your poor judgement and reckless behaviour meant that someone had to say goodbye to their partner, their mother, their father, their son or their daughter, and making their Christmas unforgettable for all the wrong reasons?"
Meanwhile Chief Inspector Steve O’Keeffe, head of Roads Policing for Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire, added:
"We want people to remember Christmas for all the right reasons.
"It should be a happy time but driving under the influence of drink or drugs can change that in a heartbeat.
"This campaign is not about spoiling peoples’ fun: it is about ensuring they don’t do something that jeopardises it.
"Drink and drug driving can bring financial hardship, pain and loneliness which is a far cry from Christmas festivities we all want to enjoy.
"If you are going out this Christmas, please plan ahead and make sure you get home safely. Book a taxi or designate a non-drinking driver.
"It is also important to ensure you are not over the limit the next day as this can still impair your ability to drive."
Bedfordshire Police
Officers in Bedfordshire will be enforcing the campaign while on patrol and by carrying out roadside checks.
Inspector Ed Finn, from the North Community Policing team, said:
"We understand that after the difficulties and disappointment of not being able to celebrate Christmas with friends and family last year, some people will want to make the most of festivities this year, but we are urging you to keep safe and not put lives and livelihoods at risk by driving under the influences of drink or drugs.
"It is important to remember that alcohol takes time to leave your system and it is very difficult to know exactly how much alcohol has been consumed and how long it will take to leave your bloodstream.
"You may still be over the drink drive limit the following morning.
"Drink and drug driving destroys lives, the ripple effects are far reaching and it is something that can be completely avoided.
"We will have additional officers out on patrol during the festive period focussing on road safety and if we catch you driving under the influence, we will prosecute you."
To report an incident of drink or drug driving, call 101 or 999 in an emergency.