Annual drink and drug driving campaign launched
Drivers are being urged to consider the #IMPACT of driving under the influence
Drivers in Norfolk and Suffolk are being urged to consider the #IMPACT of driving under the influence of drink and drugs.
It will see officers carrying-out roadside checks throughout the day and night, including early morning checks, as well as intelligence-led enforcement activity.
Last year, 613 breath tests were carried out in Norfolk with 95 providing positive readings and 82 drivers failed drug tests out of the 100 conducted.
In Suffolk, 562 breath tests were carried out with 67 providing positive readings and 76 drivers failed drug tests out of the 82 conducted.
Temporary Chief Inspector Jon Chapman, Head of the Joint Roads and Armed Policing Team, said: "This has been a very difficult and challenging year for everyone, with little opportunity to get together with loved ones or celebrate special occasions. With that in mind, we are more than aware that many people will be desperate for some respite over the Christmas period and the chance to share a drink with friends and family – wherever the Covid-19 regulations allow.
"We want people to be able to enjoy themselves, but to do so sensibly and without risking the lives of others. There is no room for people to think that just because it’s Christmas, or that 2020 has been a year to forget, that getting behind the wheel of a vehicle under the influence of drink or drugs is any more acceptable than it would usually be.
"Our message is consistent – it is not acceptable any year, or at any time of the year – drink and drug driving kills and we urge friends and relatives not to tolerate or condone their loved ones taking this unnecessary risk.
"It is also worth remembering that every year we often catch people driving over the limit the morning after a night of drinking. You need time for the effects of alcohol to wear off, so the advice to anyone who has to drive early the next morning is not to drink at all.
"Please don’t gamble with peoples’ lives for the sake of a drink and do not let anyone you know do so either – the same applies if you know someone has used drugs. The chances of being caught, put in a police cell and losing your driving licence and your job is high, as is the risk of destroying a life and causing death or serious injury – it is just not worth it.”