Further 50 arrested for drink or drug driving in the run up to Christmas

A further 50 people have been arrested in Derbyshire as part of the Derbyshire Police Christmas drink and drug driving campaign, taking the total so far to more than 80.

The arrests took place during weeks three and four of a national policing operation known as Op Limit, where all police forces in England and Wales have been increasing their presence on the roads to target drink and drug drivers.

It was timed to coincide with the men’s World Cup and then throughout the lead up to Christmas.

Officers have been continuing with patrols across the county, making stops and speaking to drivers on the roads.

Between Monday 5th December and Sunday 18th December, officers in Derbyshire found 33 drivers who tested positive for alcohol and 19 who tested positive for drugs.

The highest breath test during the last two weeks, and during the operation so far, showed 150 micrograms of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath, when the legal limit is 35.

Thirteen of those tests followed collisions on the county’s roads.

To support Op Limit, on Thursday 1st December, Derbyshire Police launched their Don’t Get Wrecked Christmas anti drink drive campaign with a short film to remind people that driving under the influence of drink or drugs can have fatal consequences.

A short film showing the harrowing impact of drink and drug-driving has been released to mark the start of a county-wide road safety campaign.

Chief Inspector David Nicholls who leads the Roads Policing Unit, said: “Christmas is now right around the corner and suspected drink and drug drivers arrested on Christmas Eve, could find themselves waking up in a police cell on Christmas morning whilst further tests and interviews are carried out as part of enquiries before they are released. Far worse than this is that someone could be waking up to the devastating news that a loved one won’t ever be coming home.

“If you’re celebrating, plan ahead and book a taxi, agree a nominated driver, choose somewhere easy to walk home from or just stick to non-alcoholic drinks. Also, don’t be afraid to call out your friends or family if you think they have drugs or alcohol in their system and are about to drive. Let’s make sure we all get home safely.”

You can make a difference to your community by actively reporting drink or drug driving.

If the crime is taking place at the time, please call 999.

If you have details of a driver who regularly drives unsafely or it is non-urgent, please make contact via any of the below methods:

You can also anonymously contact the independent charity Crimestoppers, on 0800 555 111 or by visiting www.crimestoppers-uk.org