Over 200 Drivers Arrested in North Wales During The Anti Drink and Drug Driving Campaign
North Wales Police has reported that the month-long campaign, which ran from 1st December 2019 to 1st January 2020, resulted in 100 drink driving arrests and 101 drug driving arrests across the region.
Officers from the Roads Policing Unit, Armed Alliance, local policing as well as the Special Constabulary were deployed across North Wales to carry out stop checks and used intelligence-led tactics and local knowledge of hotspot areas to detect people driving whilst under the influence.
Superintendent Jane Banham, Head of the Roads Policing Unit for North Wales Police said, “More than 200 drivers had a Christmas and New Year to remember for all the wrong reasons – after being arrested on suspicion of drink and drug driving.
“Over recent months we’ve seen people who work in a variety of professions – including self-employed people, being arrested and facing prosecution, job loss and financial penalties.
“We target drink and drug drivers throughout the year, not just over the festive period. We have a zero tolerance for this type of offending so we will continue to proactively stop and arrest people who risk their own lives and the lives of innocent people.
“Think about the effects a drink or drug driving conviction will have on you and your family, the shame and ruin that it can and does bring.”
In March 2015 the drug driving law changed to make it easier for police to convict drug-drivers. Sixteen legal and illegal drugs are covered by the law including cannabis, cocaine, ecstasy and ketamine. The limits for all illegal drugs are extremely low – taking even a very small amount of an illegal drug could put drivers over the limit.
Supt Banham added, “We have specialist roadside testing kits that can detect whether a person is under the influence of drugs in just eight minutes.
“I don’t think people are quite grasping the full extent of the danger drug-driving poses. Those that take the risk clearly don't think about the families of those who have died at the hands of a driver who is on high on drugs.
“It has been proven that both drink and drugs can impair a person’s ability to drive and we hope the message from our campaign gets through – it is never acceptable to drive whilst under the influence.”