Sussex Police issued a stark warning over Christmas and New Year that motorists who continue to drink and drug drive will be caught and prosecuted yet a minority continue sadly to flout the law.
In total, officers in Sussex made 233 arrests for drink and drug-driving during the month-long crackdown in December.
The figures are particularly disappointing after Sussex Police launched its crackdown with a high-profile campaign which included warnings being issued via the use of beer mats distributed to pubs in Bexhill urging motorists not to drive if they had been drinking alcohol.
The force recommended either getting a taxi home or nominating a non-drinking friend or family member to get behind the wheel instead.
However, there are still a minority who chose not to heed that advice and, as a result, those found guilty face a lengthy ban from the roads once convicted.
Officers were called to 52 road traffic collisions where the driver being intoxicated behind the wheel was suspected to be a factor.
Tragically, this included a fatal collision in which the driver was also injured and required hospital treatment.
Sussex Police launched the ‘Drink Driving: Together We Can Stop It’ campaign at the start of December, appealing to the public’s sense of shared responsibility to reduce the number of people killed and seriously injured on our roads.
The force called on the public to prevent drink-driving by reporting those who ignore warnings to the police.
The campaign coincided with Operation Limit, a national operation targeting drink and drug drivers where all police forces in England and Wales increased their presence on the roads over the Christmas and New Year period.
Chief Constable Jo Shiner, who is the National Police Chiefs’ Association lead for Roads Policing, said: “Our campaign highlighted the dangers of drink-driving but also the very easy steps people can take to prevent it from happening.
“Tragically, we have once again seen the devastating consequences that drink-driving can have on our roads, as one person died in a collision involving a suspected drink-driver.
“The fact that there were more than 50 collisions goes to show just how dangerous driving while intoxicated through drink or drugs is.
“Every one of those motorists put their own safety and the safety of everyone else at risk.”
Already as part of the campaign 86 drivers have been charged with offences and have either appeared or will appear in court throughout January.
Sussex Police will be publishing the names of those convicted to raise awareness of the issue and to act as a deterrent to others from committing the same offence. The “name and shame” policy has been used throughout Ms Shiner’s tenure as chief constable.
Despite the warnings, officers continued to find drivers putting themselves in danger, including one driver found vomiting in the car after consuming alcohol, and another driver found smoking cannabis at the wheel in a car park.
Sussex Police & Crime Commissioner Katy Bourne is a firm advocate of the policy and added that she is alarmed by the number of drivers who mistakenly believe they will get away with it and not be caught.
She said: “It is good news to hear Sussex Police continue to take dangerous drivers off our roads but saddening to know that still so many people think this reckless behaviour is acceptable.”
“Getting behind the wheel under the influence of alcohol or drugs is a decision that could have absolutely devastating consequences so, if you need to travel, you need to make alternative arrangements.
“With evidence of increased drug-driving, it is clear we need to step up our forensic testing capacity and train more officers in the use of roadside tests so that our road networks become a safer place for all.”
The month of December is by no means the only time of the year that the force will be targeting motorists, however, as Ms Shiner emphasised.
She added: “My officers continue to patrol the roads 24/7, every day of the year, to prevent offenders from causing harm to themselves and others.
“We also continue to urge people to make the right choices. You can prevent the risk of drink-driving by taking steps such as pre-booking a taxi, walking to a venue, or having a designated driver.
“The public can also do their part to persuade a drink-driver not to get behind the wheel, such as by offering to call a taxi, offering them a place to stay instead of drink-driving, and if necessary, by taking the car keys away from them.
“If all those options fail, then we urge the public to report offenders to us, so our officers can arrest them and take them off the roads.”
Drink and drug driving is one of the “fatal five” causes of people being killed or seriously injured on our roads.
The other factors include driving at excess speed, not wearing a seatbelt, being distracted at the wheel such as by using a mobile phone, and driving in a careless or inconsiderate manner.
