A nationwide crackdown on drink and drug driving, which will see all 43 UK police forces step up efforts to catch motorists who disregard the law, is now underway.
The four-week long campaign is being coordinated by the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) and National Roads Policing Operations and Intelligence (NRPOII).
Results from every police force will be analysed and ranked. Last year, the same campaign saw an 18% rise in arrests with 6,130 drivers caught compared with 5,186 during the same period in 2021.
Among the police forces taking part is Lincolnshire, where officers will be carrying out extra patrols with checkpoints at key locations for drink and drug testing.
The force will also be warning people of the consequences of driving with alcohol or drugs in their system, spelling out the penalties if they are caught during the festive period.
Inspector Jason Baxter, of the Roads Policing Unit, said: “We can’t be everywhere, but we could be anywhere. That’s the message we want to get across to every driver on Lincolnshire’s roads.
“If the threat of being caught is not deterrent enough, we will be giving an insight into how we approach the truly heart-breaking job of letting a family know that their loved one has lost their life as a result of a collision.”
Nationwide, it is hoped the crackdown will help to mobilise national mainstream media and local television and radio to help to create a greater deterrent.
D.tec International, the firm which supplies drug driver testing equipment to every police force in England, Wales and Scotland, is pleased to see an additional focus on tackling the issue.
It says that the NPCC and NRPOII have indicated their intentions to plan and manage an annual Summer Drink Drug Drive Campaign starting in 2024.
D.tec International believes national coordination will ensure that every force in the UK will be doing more to catch drink and drug drivers going forward.
Ean Lewin, managing director of D.tec International, said: “Drink and drug driving remains the biggest strategic threat to roads policing, and I am delighted to see that NPCC and NRPOII are extending their support for Operation Limit beyond the festive period.
“Some police forces have started to increase their focus on drink and drug driving even before Operation Limit officially gets underway.
“Merseyside Police caught 25 drink and drug drivers within the first 24-hours of their campaign. According to their official X (formally Twitter) account, the force has made 172 arrests in 7-days, 47 for drink drive and 125 for drug drive. This clearly isn’t a problem confined to ‘party season’ which hasn’t even started yet.”
