Police in Derbyshire have been praised following a considerable increase in the number of people caught drink driving over the festive period.
According to the BBC, throughout December officers stopped 1,011 people, 121 of whom tested positive or refused to provide a sample. That is an 11% success rate. This compares exceptionally well with the previous year where they stopped 4,500 motorists and only achieved a 4% positive test rate.
Police targeted persistent drink drivers or acted on information from informants and the general public.
Chief Inspector, Tim Frohwein, conceded to being disappointed to find that such large numbers of people were still drink driving, despite a campaign to crackdown on the numbers by distributing posters and leaflets in pubs and clubs, but was pleased with the response of the general public, stating that “People who suspected others of getting behind the wheel after a drink called the police to tell us” and “We are grateful to these callers for their assistance”.
The effect of drinking alcohol is it will impair the senses. It will slow reaction times, reduce a driver’s co-ordination and a driver will lose their ability to judge speed, time and distance. According to government road safety campaigner Think!, if you drive at twice the legal alcohol limit you are at least 30 times more likely to cause a road crash that a driver who hasn’t been drinking.
The success of the police approach of utilising intelligence rather than randomly stopping people is slightly questionable, as 4% of 4,500 means that they actually found 180 people who tested positive the previous year in comparison with 121 in December. However, the increased success percentage indicates a better use of police resources. And they should be lauded for this. Keeping drink drivers off our roads will considerably reduce the number of accidents which occur and that can only be a good thing.
