Police target known drink driving hotspots
As part of an enforcement initiative by South Yorkshire Police targeting known drink-driving hotspots during June, 1,595 drivers were breathalysed and of those 99 (6.2 per cent) tested positive, or refused or failed to provide a breath test.
The initiative was part of a national crackdown by the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) which ran from 1 – 30 June. It aimed to reduce the number of people killed and injured on our roads by people who drink and drive.
Nationally, drink drive figures provided by ACPO show that across the country 88,629 tests were conducted and 5,373 (6.06 per cent) tested positive, or refused or failed to provide a breath test.
All drivers who provide a positive breath test, refuse to provide or fail to provide a sample, face losing their licence for at least 12 months. They could go to prison for six months or pay a fine of up to £5,000.
Throughout the month, South Yorkshire Police followed an intelligence led approach, specifically targeting areas with a known record of drink driving.
South Yorkshire Chief Inspector for Roads Policing, Stuart Walne said: “Running an intelligence led initiative means that whilst the total number of breath tests carried out has reduced in comparison to previous initiatives, the percentage of people caught drink driving has actually increased compared to the figures from last summer.
“The increased percentage of arrests shows we are serious about keeping people safe from drink drivers. I’d like to thank not only my colleagues for working so hard, but also the public in helping to inform us of regular drink drivers.
“It’s easy to avoid drink driving: you can nominate a designated driver, take a taxi or simply not drink alcohol for the night. As a driver you must take responsibility for your own actions and think about the effects on those close to you if you don’t come home or if you kill someone else as a result of driving under the influence of alcohol. No-one wants to have a police officer knocking on their door to tell them that someone that they care about has been killed as a result of something so easy to avoid.
“Such instances are not acceptable on the roads of South Yorkshire. If you know someone that regularly drives under the influence of drugs or alcohol I would urge you to contact South Yorkshire Police on 0114 220 2020 or contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111”.
