59 drivers were arrested during the first 10 days of a ground-breaking force-wide crackdown on drink and drug driving.
Nottinghamshire Police is using a mixture of public engagement, education, and enforcement to keep the county’s roads safe as part of its ‘A Deadly Mix’ campaign, which aims to educate people about the dangers and consequences of drink and drug driving.
The force has been holding a series of interactive public roadshows, in Nottingham and Mansfield, inviting members of the public to take part in some sobriety tests including being challenged to try on a pair of ‘beer googles’ and walk in a straight line, simulating how alcohol or drugs can impair your reactions.
In a unique move, officers have also been handing out sobriety activity packs to those taking part. These educational packs include a selection of activities and tasks people can complete with family and friends, raising wider awareness in a bid to make our roads safer.
They include pairs of ‘beer goggles’, simulating how alcohol can affect your reactions and impair your ability to drive, a true and false game, a QR code participants can use to give their feedback on their experiences, and informative materials for people to read.
Hard-hitting facts are also being shared with members of the public, increasing their knowledge concerning the devastating impact of drink and drug driving.
As well as this education and prevention work, officers continue to be out and about carrying out drink and drug drive enforcement, taking appropriate action against offenders, and patrolling our roads to keep people safe.
A total of 59 drivers were arrested across the county during the first 10 days of the drink and drug drive campaign (from midnight on 1 December to 4.45am on 11 December 2023).
Of these, 32 suspects have subsequently been charged, with the majority now facing charges of drink driving through the courts.
Last year, between 1 December 2022 and 1 January 2023, a total of 237 drink and drug drivers were investigated by Nottinghamshire Police.
Of these, 58 had been involved in a collision.
Inspector John Lees, of Nottinghamshire Police, said:
“A key focus of our ongoing campaign is to make people think and understand the devastating ripple effects drink or drug driving can have.
“It can totally destroy lives, especially when a loved one is lost in a crash. There’s also a wide-reaching impact on offenders caught flouting the law.
“If convicted, they face losing their licence, losing their livelihood, and struggling to find future employment after being banned from the roads, and potentially losing their liberty if they are sent to prison.
“While it’s very disappointing some people are still choosing to put their own life and other people’s lives at risk by driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, our educational roadshows have had some really positive feedback from members of the public we have engaged with.
“Many have said that our awareness-raising interactive activities really opened their eyes as to how severely their reactions and judgement are affected by even a modest amount of alcohol and made them more aware of the risks and life-shattering consequences that drink and drug driving can have.
“We can all play a part in reducing the number of people who are risking their lives and the lives of others on our county’s roads.
“If you know or suspect that someone is driving while under the influence of alcohol or drugs, try to discourage them but if they won’t listen to you ring us and report them.
“Call us on 101 or 999 if there’s an immediate threat to life or property. You can also call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.”
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