More held for drink and drug driving in Christmas crackdown

Dozens arrested in Brighton and Hove and hundreds throughout Sussex

Dozens of drink and drug drivers were arrested in Brighton and Hove during the annual Christmas crackdown, Sussex Police said.

There were 54 arrests in the Brighton and Hove area, up from 49 a year earlier, the force said.

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Overall, there were 261 arrests in total across Sussex, up from 233 in the previous year.

Sussex Police said: “Officers from across the force made 261 arrests in Sussex during Operation Limit, a national campaign to tackle drink and drug driving, which ran from Friday 1 December to Monday 1 January.

“They also carried out nearly 6,000 vehicle checks during the campaign, providing a visible deterrent to offenders and raising awareness of the dangers of driving after consuming alcohol or drugs.

“Policing patrols on the roads continue 24/7, all year round to catch offenders and prevent them causing serious harm to themselves and other road users.

“Drink and drug driving is one of the main causes of why people are killed or seriously injured on our roads.

“The number of arrests made last month was a 12 per cent increase on the number of arrests made during the campaign recorded a year before, when 233 arrests were made.

“It included a rise in the number of arrests following collisions on our roads and also as a result of the public reporting drivers to police in order to stop a serious collision in the first place.”

Chief Constable Jo Shiner said: “Our campaign highlighted the dangers of drink driving as well as the very easy steps people can take to prevent it from happening.

“We continue to urge people to make the right choice by taking steps such as pre-booking a taxi, walking to a venue or having a designated driver.

“The public can also do their part to persuade a drink driver not to get behind the wheel, such as by offering to call a taxi, offering them a place to stay instead of drink driving and, if necessary and safe to do so, by taking the car keys away from them.

“We are pleased that the public have shown support for our campaign, including where they have reported intoxicated drivers to us to help prevent a tragic collision.

“The fact that there were more than 50 collisions goes to show just how dangerous driving after consuming drink or drugs can be.”

Sussex police and crime commissioner Katy Bourne said: “Sussex Police have been working hard to get unfit drivers off our roads throughout their winter campaign.

“However, the rising number of arrests suggests that people still don’t understand the severity of their actions when they choose to get behind the wheel or, worse still, they think they’ll get away with it.

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“It has been nearly 10 years since roadside saliva tests were introduced and today’s kits are more accurate and deliver faster results.

“With portable technology like this readily available to officers, it is simply a matter of time before drug drivers are caught and could face up to six months in prison, an unlimited fine and driving bans.

“I particularly want to thank the members of the public who came forward to report incidents of drink or drug driving throughout the campaign.

“Many of these reports will have been about their own friends or family and, while it’s not easy to report a loved one, the reality is that it could save theirs and others’ lives.”