Police target drink and drug drivers in summer road safety campaign

Police targeting drink and drug drivers during a week of action to make our roads safer this summer have made over 100 arrests.

The Joint Operations Roads Policing Unit of Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary and Thames Valley Police have been increasing operational focus on those driving while impaired as part of a national campaign run by the NPCC.

Alcohol and drugs vastly reduce your abilities behind the wheel, particularly the ability to react to situations, and increases the danger of being killed or seriously injured in a road traffic collision.

Between 21 August – 27 August, our officers recorded 30 offences of drink driving and 22 offences of drug driving on Hampshire and Isle of Wight roads.

In Thames Valley, those numbers were 41 for drink driving and 46 for drug driving.

Chief Inspector Emma Hart, of the Joint Operations Roads Policing Unit, said: “Driving while impaired from drugs or alcohol is one of the most dangerous things a person can do.

“Even the slightest amount of alcohol or drugs in your system can greatly affect your ability to drive. Lives are lost or forever changed in fatal and serious injury collisions every year as a result of motorists ignoring this simple fact.

“We will continue to relentlessly pursue the selfish minority who risk their own lives, and the lives of other innocent road users, by drink or drug driving.”