Seasonal blitz on drivers continues (From Bromsgrove Advertiser)

Seasonal blitz on drivers continues

8:30am Wednesday 26th December 2012 in News

POLICE have continued their Christmas crackdown on drink driving.

As part of a police operation targeting driving offences, particularly drink driving, officers have pulled over a number of drivers.

Since the drink-drive campaign was launched on December 1, 138 people across West Mercia and Warwickshire have been arrested for driving under the influence of drink or drugs.

According to figures from the Safer Roads Partnership, over the past three years 18 people lost their lives in West Mercia and Warwickshire and 171 were seriously injured after collisions where drink or drugs were recorded as a contributory factor.

Inspector Stuart Murphy said: “People drink the night before at office parties or at home but don’t realise if they are stopped in a car the next morning they will be over the legal limit.

“Even with the campaigns on the TV, people don’t realise or choose to ignore that they are over the limit and if caught will lose their licence and in extreme cases, go to prison.”

The Safer Roads Partnership, together with West Mercia and Warwickshire Police and other agencies, have been raising awareness of the consequences of drink driving and carrying out roadside checks throughout December.

The force-wide campaign supports the national month-long winter drink drive campaign that was launched on December 1 by the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO).