alert-icon@2xalert-icon@2xion-close-round - Ionicons- white@2x Skip to content
Report online For non emergencies
Call 999 For emergency calls only
Call 999 For emergency calls only
Call 101 For all non emergencies
Call 101 For All non emergencies
                                                                                 
Posted on Wednesday 25 January 2023
police breathalyser drink drive

Nearly 100 unfit drivers were taken off the roads during the force’s latest campaign to target those under the influence of drink or drugs.

A total of 96 people were arrested during Durham Constabulary’s latest campaign led by the force’s Roads and Armed Policing Team over the festive period.

Supported by Neighbourhood Teams, officers carried out random vehicle stops and intelligence-led enforcement over the festive period in a bid to remove drivers who were under the influence from the roads and keep people safe. 

And as part of the national campaign, which began two weeks earlier in Durham to include the 2022 World Cup, more than 2,000 drivers were stopped and tested.

The majority tested negative and were happily on their way.

However, those who failed included 59 drivers who were arrested for being under the influence of alcohol, 29 for being under the influence of drugs and eight for failing to provide – an offence in itself.

Drink and drug driving is one of the main four causes of fatal collisions, alongside speeding, distraction and not wearing a seatbelt.

Inspector Kevin Salter said: “One driver getting behind the wheel with drugs or alcohol in their system is enough to kill someone and is unacceptable and we thank the majority of drivers who head our warnings.

“Our message has always been the same: don’t drive under the influence.

“Those who choose to do so risk killing themselves, others and ending up in prison and we continue to work all-year-round to target those selfish drivers who think only of themselves.”

 

Search news