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Q3 2005 |
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Ref:006/10
January 21, 2010
More than 7500 arrested during Christmas drink and drug driving campaign
Police arrested more than 7500 people in the month-long blitz on drunk drivers over the Christmas period, ACPO lead for Roads Policing Chief Constable Mick Giannasi revealed today.
“More drivers than ever before were breath tested over the holiday period - 223,423 – and despite all the messages that drinking and driving is dangerous and illegal, some people still do not get the point,” Chief Constable Giannasi said.
“Three percent of those drivers breath tested were arrested and while that fell from the previous year it means that despite all the messages about the dangers of drinking and driving there were still 7638 drivers on our roads posing a threat to themselves and others and that is totally unacceptable.”
The campaign ran from 1 December to 1 January with 43 forces throughout England and Wales testing drivers at all times of the day and night.
The numbers of drivers breath tested increased by 21.82 on the previous year while the number of arrests dropped by 16.51 percent.
“Despite our concerns about the small minority who continue to drink and drive, we are encouraged by the decreases in the statistics in most areas. But the end of the campaign definitely does not mean the end of police vigilance to catch those who continue to flout the law however and drink and drive.”
The statistics also once again reveal that those who have been drinking and then drive are more likely to be involved in an accident - 7 percent of those breath tested after a collision were arrested.
“One death on the roads devastates many families and will always be one death too many. We will continue in our efforts to make the roads safer for all users.”
The number of under 25s testing positive also fell on the previous year, but are still over-represented in the statistics with 4 percent of the 49,970 people breath tested being arrested.
The number of people testing positive for drugs fell by 36 percent but still remains high at an alarming 18 percent of those tested.
“Driving under the influence of any substance, whether it is alcohol or drugs is not acceptable. Alcohol and drugs can impair your ability to judge speed and distances, reduce concentration and delay reaction speed. Worst of all it can kill, and that’s a life sentence no-one would want to live with.”
ENDS
Notes for Editors
NOTES FOR EDITORS:
Full national results are avialable from the ACPO Press Office.
• The ACPO Press Office can be contacted via 020 7084 8946/47/48 (office hours) or via 07803 903686 (out of office hours).
• The Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) is an independent, professionally led strategic body. In the public interest and, in equal and active partnership with Government and the Association of Police Authorities, ACPO leads and co-ordinates the direction and development of the police service in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. In times of national need ACPO, on behalf of all chief officers, coordinates the strategic policing response.
• ACPO’s 341 members are police officers of Assistant Chief Constable rank (Commanders in the Metropolitan Police and City of London Police) and above, and senior police staff managers, in the 44 forces in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, and other forces such as British Transport Police and States of Jersey Police.
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