Northants Police video highlights drink drive offences
The force's annual campaign is getting underway
To support this year’s winter drink and drug driving campaign Northamptonshire Police has released a new video.
This is the second consecutive year the Force has produced a video using body worn footage from its Roads Policing Team of people arrested on suspicion of drink driving offences after failing roadside breath tests.
In 2023, Northamptonshire Police arrested a total of 972 people on suspicion of drink driving, and between January and November of this year, a further 864 road users have been caught driving under the influence of alcohol.
Detective Chief Inspector Shelley Nichols of the Force’s Specialist Operations said:
“Many people are getting better at being more responsible on our roads but there are still some who will try to justify getting behind the wheel after consuming alcohol.
“However, no matter how much you try to convince yourself, there’s absolutely no excuse for this type of behaviour which is purely selfish and reckless. Drink driving is just unacceptable.
“Our priority is to keep our communities and roads safer all year round however, there is always an increased risk at this time of year of people getting behind the wheel after a drink and we want to ensure everyone gets home safely to enjoy the festive season with family.
“If you think you are safe to drive after drinking or taking drugs, think again. Even the slightest amount of alcohol or drugs in your system can affect the way you drive, increasing the risk of serious harm to yourself and other road users.
“No one wants to get that terrible knock on the door to tell them someone they love is not coming home. So, the message in this video is simple - make the right choice and never drive when you’ve had an alcoholic drink.”
During last year’s festive campaign, 97 road users were charged with driving while over the alcohol limit and 37 arrested for failing a roadside drug test. This compared to 99 and 18 respectively for the same period in 2022.
The Force will be supporting the National Police Chiefs’ Council’s Operation Limit campaign which runs from December 1 to January 2, and as part of the month-long crackdown, officers will be conducting extra patrols along with proactive operations and roadside checks.