Shropshire Star

Shropshire and Mid Wales police launching drink-drive crackdown

Motorists across Shropshire and Mid Wales will next week be warned of the dangers of driving under the influence of drink or drugs during the festive period.

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Both West Mercia and Dyfed-Powys Police will launch their annual crackdown on motorists on Tuesday.

Figures indicate that over the past three years, 10 people were killed and 108 seriously injured in the West Mercia area following collisions where drink or drugs were recorded as a contributory factor.

Vicki Bristow, of West Mercia and Warwickshire Police Safer Roads Partnership, said the consequences of being caught driving under the influence will be highlighted by the force.

Additional activity from police officers within Shropshire will be focused in licensed venues with the use of the national CrimeStoppers drink-drive campaign encouraging people to report known offenders.

She said there is no foolproof way of calculating how much you can drink and remain under the limit, or knowing how much an individual person can drink and still drive safely. It is also hard to calculate how long alcohol may stay in your body if you are driving the morning after, so the safest option if you are driving is to drink no alcohol at all.

Mrs Bristow said: "There are still people out there who feel they can gamble with drinking and driving and think they know how much the limit is but the simple fact is, there is only one way of being sure that you are safe to drive and that is not to drink at all.

"Any amount of alcohol affects your ability to drive. We would also ask people to consider other options when out drinking over the festive season, public transport, taxis and sharing nominated drivers are easy to arrange – drinking and driving simply isn't worth the risk. Pedestrians are also being encouraged to stay safe during the festive season and to plan safe routes home and to drink responsibly."

Superintendent Daryn Elton, of West Mercia Police, added: "Cracking down on those who take drugs or drink and then drive is a year round commitment for us. However, We are very aware the festive season can present opportunities where people are tempted to drive after taking drugs or drinking. To combat this, extra patrols will be conducted in the run-up to and over Christmas and New Year, in a bid to tackle those who commit the unacceptable act of drinking or drug driving."

"Worryingly, and despite many warnings over the years about the dangers of drink/drug driving, there are still far too many reckless drivers ignoring the devastating consequences.

"Alcohol and drugs both affect your ability to judge speed and distances accurately and slow down your reaction time. We're urging people to think hard about the consequences that a collision could lead to."

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