The number of people arrested for drink and drug driving over Christmas has dropped.
More than 100 motorists were arrested for failing a roadside breath test or being unfit to drive because of the influence of drugs in Cleveland and Durham over the festive period.
The Cleveland and Durham Specialist Operations Unit (CDSOU) launched The Christmas Drink-Drive Campaign in Cleveland and Durham on December 1 to run throughout the month alongside the national campaign led by ACPO (Association of Chief Police Officers).
As well as testing every driver involved in a road traffic collision they ran a series of roadside checkpoints in both force areas, stopping vehicles in a variety of locations and inviting drivers to take a voluntary test.
Across the whole of December 2014 in Cleveland and Durham, police tested 1,782 drivers after which exactly 100 were arrested for either providing a sample with an excess alcohol reading, failing to provide a sample or being unfit to provide a sample.
One arrest was also made for being unfit to drive due to drugs, making 101 arrests in total.
This marks a reduction from December 2013, the same period the previous year, in which a total of 2,241 drivers were breath-tested by officers resulting in 254 arrests.
Chief inspector Alison Jackson, from the CDSOU said: “Officers from the unit committed a lot of time to this campaign as they knew that in doing so, they were undoubtedly saving lives by preventing accidents.
“While 101 arrests is disappointing, it does demonstrate the need for mass screenings of this type. Drink-driving remains an issue which isn’t going away, but equally we have to remember the figure represents just 5 per cent of those we tested.
“This suggests the overwhelming majority of motorists are taking on board the message that alcohol and driving do not mix.
“Drink-driving remains one of the main factors in traffic collisions and is a priority for us across the year, not just over the festive period.”
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