The head of roads policing in Essex says it continues to be “a blight on our communities”.
The number of arrests during a month-long summer anti-drink and drug-driving campaign in Essex has almost doubled compared with last year.
A total of 205 arrests were made by Essex Police as part of their four-week #DriveSafeDriveSober campaign between Thursday June 14 and Friday July 15 this year.
Of those, 109 were arrested on suspicion of drink driving, 78 on suspicion of drug driving wand 18 on suspicion of failing to provide a specimen. In all, 2,050 drivers were stopped during the campaign.
In 2017, 107 people were arrested during a similar month-long summer campaign.
There were 148 arrests in Essex during an anti-drink and drug-driving campaign at Christmas.
Adam Pipe, head of roads policing in Essex, said: “Alcohol and drugs can slow your reaction time and when you’re behind the wheel that can be fatal.
“It continues to be a blight on our communities and those who are doing it are putting their lives, and those of other road users, at risk.
“Our summer campaign shows there are people who still believe it is OK to get behind the wheel after taking drugs or having a few drinks. It’s not OK, it’s totally unacceptable.
“The campaign may have finished but our work to identify and arrest drink and drug drivers doesn’t stop. My officers will continue to carry out proactive operations and act on information called in to us.”
In Suffolk, a similar campaign saw 62 arrests during a month-long campaign in June 2017. There were 137 arrests during the force’s Christmas campaign in 2017.
Suffolk police also carried out a summer anti-drink and drug-driving campaign. Figures are expected to be released soon.
Tim Passmore, Suffolk police and crime commissioner, said: “I hope that slowly but surely the message is getting through, this cavalier attitude to safety is completely unacceptable and I urge drivers to take heed.
“Sadly too many drivers have still not learnt the lesson – drink driving kills.”
Call 101 to report a drink or drug driver.
Send any information to http://saferessexroads.org/extraeyes/
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