Police forces in England and Wales will be running ‘intelligence-led operations’ to target drink and drug drivers across the festive period.
As part of the National Police Chiefs’ Council’s (NPCC) annual festive campaign launched today (1 Dec), all police forces in England and Wales will be targeting areas where drink and drug driving is ‘more commonplace’ over the Christmas and New Year holiday period.
Alongside enforcement activity, forces will be sharing awareness campaigns to remind people that it is never worth the risk of getting behind the wheel while under the influence of alcohol or drugs – including stories of people who are facing Christmas without loved ones because of drink or drug driving.
For example, Greater Manchester Police and Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service are working with bereaved mum ‘Elaine’ who lost her 27 year-old-son James in 2009.
The Greater Manchester campaign, ‘None for the Road’, reminds drivers of the ‘devastating consequences’ (artwork pictured) of driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs and shows ‘commitment to tackling the issue during a peak time’.
NPCC is calling for drivers to understand that getting behind the wheel after drinking or using drugs ‘is a lapse in judgement that can have terrible consequences’.
Chief constable Anthony Bangham, NPCC lead for roads policing, said: “Every year police forces deal with cases of drink or drug driving that directly result in families facing Christmas without loved ones.
“Yet thousands of people still get behind the wheel after drinking or taking drugs – so this year we are supporting forces who want to tell the personal stories of lives lost and families torn apart.
“Our recent operations have shown higher rates of detection for drugs and alcohol than in recent years which means the scale of the problem is still a real concern.
“Even a small amount of alcohol or drugs in your system can affect your ability to drive safely – don’t let your friends and family pay the price.”
The NPCC drink and drug drive operation runs from 1 December to 1 January 2018. The campaign will use the hashtag #WrongForTheRoad on social media.
Category: Drink driving, Drug driving.
None for the road is about the safest message that one can give to any potential driver. Zero toleration is the only way to go. I would like to se this hardened attitude addopted nationwide.
The science and advice on the amounts of alcohol that is regularly published to be the maximum one can consume and still drive and be within the law is badly flawed. This is because it fails to take in to account the varying degrees or % of alcohol being consumed. Yes it does discriminate between beer, wine and spirits but spirits are controlled at 45% by volume whereas a beer could be anything between 3% and up to over 6% whereas wines can vary considerably between 7% to over 18% so by advising a drinker to just having two pints of beer one can drink either a low 6.8% of alcohol by volume or maybe upwards of 12% of alcohol by volume.
This makes a mockery of the law and makes some drivers believe that they are safe to drive having had just two pints of beer or lager whereas the reality would be that they are driving unknowingly well over the legal limit.
Nill by mouth is the only safe way to go for a night out and as said use a taxi or designated driver.
m.worthington Manchester
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