NEWS FEED
Since the beginning of Dorset Police’s Christmas drink and drug drive campaign, which started on 1 December, a total of 30 people have been charged, 14 of them in the last week.
The campaign runs until Sunday 1 January 2017 and throughout the operation, officers will be requesting breath tests from all drivers involved in road traffic collisions, irrespective of whether or not they suspect a drink driving offence.
Drivers can expect to be tested during routine stop checks and if they are stopped for an offence. Field Impairment Tests (FIT) will be conducted on drivers suspected of being unfit to drive through drugs.
Inspector Matt Butler, of the Alliance Roads Policing Department, said: “I have attended far too many road deaths as a direct result of drink and drug driving. I have seen far too many families devastated.
“Alcohol and drugs impair many of the functions necessary for safe driving; reaction times and spatial awareness are affected significantly. This may still be the case the morning after, depending on how much alcohol you consumed the night before and when you stopped drinking.
“If you take the risk, you could kill or seriously injure another person. Drink and drug driving affects real people with real families. Please plan ahead this Christmas and take responsibility.”
Despite long term reductions, drink and drug driving still accounts for 15 per cent of road deaths and almost 10,000 casualties nationally each year.
You can follow Dorset Police’s Christmas campaign on social media. Together, let’s get Christmas safety #AllWrappedUp.
