The summer crackdown on drink and drug drivers by Sussex Police will start tomorrow (Monday 1 June).
The crackdown- known as Operation Dragonfly – involves the force’s traffic officers mounting dedicated patrols looking for offenders.
In previous campaigns, Sussex Police has named all those charged with drink or drug driving and related offences committed during the month-long crackdown.
In addition, this year the forces will release footage of convicted offenders that shows the state they were in when they got behind the wheel – and how important it is that they are banned from the roads before they hurt anyone.
The campaign is being run jointly by Sussex Police and Surrey Police alongside Sussex Safer Roads Partnership, Drive Smart in Surrey and the independent charity Crimestoppers.
Sussex Police said that 143 people were arrested in Sussex and 91 in Surrey during last summer’s June campaign.
Teams will respond to tip-offs from members of the public who see someone they know has been drinking getting into a car to drive.
Stop checks will also be set up at locations across Sussex and Surrey, in particular at locations where there is intelligence that there has been a history of drink or drug driving.
Officers will also tweet about people stopped on suspicion of drink or drug-driving offences throughout the month, giving brief details such as when and where the motorists were pulled over.
Chief Inspector Phil Nicholas said: “Officers will be out looking for anyone who has got behind the wheel after drinking or taking drugs.
“We will not tolerate drink or drug-driving and would urge anyone who thinks they know someone who is driving after taking drugs to contact us urgently so that we can act.”
In a survey by Brake and Direct Line, three per cent of UK motorists – the equivalent of a million drivers across the country – admitted driving while on illegal drugs in the previous 12 months.
In the same survey 5.9 per cent of motorists admitted to getting behind the wheel when they thought they could be over the drink-drive limit – the equivalent of a further two million drink-drivers on the roads.
People in Sussex can text officers on 65999 with the details of people they suspect of drink or drug driving or visit www.operationcrackdown.co.uk.
They can also contact the independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111.
To keep up to date with officers looking for drink or drug drivers, follow #opdragonfly on Twitter.
If you know someone is driving while over the limit or after taking drugs call 999.
When cutting and pasting this Police press release, you might at least have asked them if they were not also going to enforce the 20mph speed limits.