Forty motorists have been arrested as North Yorkshire Police enforce their summer drink drive campaign.
In support of a national month-long crackdown on drink and drug drivers, officers have been patrolling the county’s roads to ensure that anyone who thinks it is acceptable to drive while under the influence is caught and dealt with.
Police have breathalysed 350 drivers since the beginning of June and have charged 20 people with drink driving.
Seven people have also been subjected to a roadside Field Impairment Test (FIT) which is used to detect whether individuals have been driving while under the influence of drugs, resulting in four arrests on suspicion of driving while unfit through drugs.
In the past five years, 259 people have been killed or seriously injured in York and North Yorkshire in collisions involving drink drivers. Police are determined that such unnecessary injuries and deaths are avoided in the future and will use all resources available to prevent and detect people taking to the roads while over the limit.
Traffic Sergeant Ian Pope, of North Yorkshire Police’s Road Policing Group, said: “Every year we target drink drivers and every year the message is the same; drink driving is totally unacceptable and it will not be tolerated.
“It costs lives, which of course is completely avoidable if people who have had a drink do the responsible thing and don’t drive.
“The courts take the issue of drink driving as seriously as the police do and if you are caught you will be fined, banned and possibly face a prison sentence.”
Officers are encouraging people to take responsibility for their actions by taking a taxi home or nominating a designated driver when going to a party or out for a drink.
Members of the public are also being urged to report anyone who they suspect of drink or drug driving to the police or Crimestoppers. Suspected offenders are often identified and targeted through the gathering of local intelligence and residents can play a big part in the fight against drink driving by sharing information with the police.
Sgt Pope added: “Everyone has a responsibility to ensure that they don’t break the law by drinking or taking drugs and then getting behind the wheel. Fortunately, people now realise that it is socially unacceptable behaviour and I would urge anyone who knows a drink driver to tell the police and we will act upon that information.
“The more information we have the more lives we can save by getting drink drivers off the road.”
