Roads Policing officers make 200 drink and drug drive arrests in August
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Last month, Essex Police’s Roads Policing officers stopped over 300 drivers who were tested at the roadside on suspicion of drink or drug driving offences, resulting in 109 arrests for drink driving, 72 for drug driving and 30 for drink and drug driving.
Roads Policing officers focussed on this important issue to highlight the serious repercussions of drink or drug driving, allowing us to educate and influence public behaviour to ensure road safety in Essex and culminated in supporting the national week-long drink and drug drive campaign (22-28 August).
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Road Crime and Partnership Co-ordinator, Samantha Wright, said:
"Our officers patrol both the strategic network and our rural roads, conducting drink and drug tests at the roadside to make sure that all drivers are safe to drive and not breaking the law so that they don’t put themselves or others at risk.
"We consistently send out the message that drink driving is against the law and can lead to serious collisions, but the message is still not getting through to some motorists.
"We don’t want to spoil people’s fun, but our roads must be safe for everyone."
"Our officers patrol both the strategic network and our rural roads, conducting drink and drug tests at the roadside to make sure that all drivers are safe to drive and not breaking the law so that they don’t put themselves or others at risk.
"We consistently send out the message that drink driving is against the law and can lead to serious collisions, but the message is still not getting through to some motorists.
"We don’t want to spoil people’s fun, but our roads must be safe for everyone."
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Our Roads Policing Unit is made up of officers dedicated to road safety and the prevention and detection of criminality on our roads. To date, they have stopped and tested 839 drivers on suspicion of drink driving, 632 on suspicion of drug driving and 230 drivers for failing to provide specimens, that’s a total of 1701 motorists stopped between 1 January and 31 August.
The Road Crime Operational Manager went on to say:
"We will continue to target drink or drug drivers through a number of policing activities including Vision Zero, our ambition to have zero road deaths by 2040 or sooner.
"Each week we proactively patrol and hold static check areas at strategic locations across the county – those identified as having significant road related issues including speed, anti-social riding and driving as well as focussing on the offences known as the Fatal Four that contribute to serious collisions.
"Alongside our partners in the Safer Essex Roads Partnership and with the help of volunteers in Speedwatch and Schoolwatch, we target speeding drivers, those not wearing seatbelts and those who are using a mobile phone and being distracted from what is happening on the road.
"Additionally, anyone suspected of drink or drug driving will be stopped and required to take a breath test or be subject to a drug swipe test. It’s important that we do all we can to educate drivers, highlight the dangers and take positive action to make driving safe."
"We will continue to target drink or drug drivers through a number of policing activities including Vision Zero, our ambition to have zero road deaths by 2040 or sooner.
"Each week we proactively patrol and hold static check areas at strategic locations across the county – those identified as having significant road related issues including speed, anti-social riding and driving as well as focussing on the offences known as the Fatal Four that contribute to serious collisions.
"Alongside our partners in the Safer Essex Roads Partnership and with the help of volunteers in Speedwatch and Schoolwatch, we target speeding drivers, those not wearing seatbelts and those who are using a mobile phone and being distracted from what is happening on the road.
"Additionally, anyone suspected of drink or drug driving will be stopped and required to take a breath test or be subject to a drug swipe test. It’s important that we do all we can to educate drivers, highlight the dangers and take positive action to make driving safe."