Police target drink and drunk drivers

Saturday, 3 December 2022 00:00

As the first weekend of December approaches, Wiltshire Police are reminding drivers not to get behind the wheel after drinking or taking drugs.

Wiltshire's Roads Policing Unit (RPU) will be stepping up patrols over the festive season, working closely with partner agencies from the Road Safety Partnership to target those who fail to abide by the law.

Officers from RPU will also be out and about in the community for several interactive sessions in various town centres to explain the dangers of drink and drug driving.

Acting Inspector Will Ayres said: “We hold a zero-tolerance approach to drink and drug driving all year round. However, we know that as Christmas approaches, everyone is getting into the festive spirit with lots of parties planned over the coming weeks. While we want everyone to enjoy the festivities as much as possible, it’s really important that this is done safely.

“We anticipate this coming weekend will be a busy one across towns in Wiltshire,”

“Please remember that you may feel ok the morning after a big night out, but you may still be over the limit. Don’t put yourself, your passengers and other road users at risk.”

“Please plan your journey home or have a designated driver within your group. Consuming alcohol or drugs before getting the behind the wheel of a car is not worth the risk. We see first-hand the devastation felt by families whose loved ones have been killed on our roads, often at the hands of a drink driver, and it is difficult to even put into words just how heart-breaking this can be. Please, don’t be responsible for tearing a family apart this Christmas.”

The month-long operation targeting drivers under the influence of drink or drugs began yesterday (1/12) and will run for the entire festive period.

Last Christmas, Wiltshire Police arrested 45 drivers on suspicion of drink driving and 31 for driving under the influence of drugs. And between 1 January 2022 and 31 October, 583 drivers have been arrested for drink driving offences and 329 for drug driving in Wiltshire alone. – that’s a total of 912 people. The 2021 total was 1,071.

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