Crackdown on drink and drug driving

As the summer season approaches Cheshire Constabulary’s Roads Policing unit are reminding road users about the dangers of drink and drug driving.
The warning comes as the Constabulary launches an operation specifically targeting drink and drug drivers. The operation, which is part of a nationwide campaign, will see officers carrying out additional checks on roads across the county throughout June in a bid to tackle the issue, helping to reduce the number of offenders, and the number of casualties, on Cheshire’s roads.
Superintendent Bev Raistrick said: “Driving under the influence of either alcohol or drugs is extremely dangerous; it affects your reaction time, making it harder for you to judge your speed, judge your distance between you and other vehicles and notice potential hazards. All of this means that you are more likely to be involved in a collision whilst driving under the influence of either alcohol or drugs.
“As well as the dangers, there are also serious consequences for anyone who is caught drink or drug driving, not only do they face losing their licence, but they also face a large fine, going to court and even the possibility of a prison sentence; all of which could have a big impact upon their life and may affect their employment.”
This year officers have a new tool in their fight against drug driving, in the form of the new drug drive legislation that was introduced in March.
The new regulations mean that officers no longer have to prove whether or not a driver is fit to drive, but instead they can prosecute anyone who is found to be in charge of a motor vehicle with a concentration of an illegal drug over the specified limit in their body.
In addition to the regulations themselves, all roads policing officers are now equipped with roadside drug testing kits which can detect whether somebody is driving under the influence of an illegal drugs, making it easier for officers to detect any offenders.
Superintendent Raistrick added: “According to the latest figures from the Department of Transport, 26% of all deaths on Britain’s roads are alcohol related, and my officers have to deal with the devastating consequences on a daily bases.
“We know from previous experience that the number of people driving under the influence of alcohol and drugs tends to increase during the summer season as people go out more to socialise with friends and family which is why we have launched this operation.
“We are committed to reducing the number of alcohol and drug related deaths on our roads, and my officers will use all of the tools available to them to help us achieve our goal. I also want to reassure residents that although we may be focusing more on drink and drug driving this month, it is an issue that we continue to target seven days a week, 365 days a year.”
Anyone who suspects that somebody is driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol should call Cheshire Police on 101 or for further information go to www.cheshire.police.uk.