As the summer drink and drug drive campaign enters its final week, North Yorkshire Police is warning that the fight is far from over.
The battle against this criminal and extremely dangerous behaviour is an ongoing priority for the force and officers will be just as vigilant when the operation ends on the last day of June.
Since the beginning of the summer crackdown on 1 June, police have arrested 66 motorists suspected of driving while over the limit and 35 of those drivers have been charged.
Offenders are being fast-tracked through the courts and some have already lost their licences.
Traffic Sergeant Ian Pope, of North Yorkshire Police’s Roads Policing Group, said: “Although what has been a successful campaign is coming to an end next week, there will be no let up in terms of targeting drink drivers and those who get behind the wheel while under the influence of drugs.
“One of the things that the campaign does is raise awareness that drink and drug driving is completely unacceptable and will not be tolerated. It lets people know that we are watching them and if they are caught they will be dealt with quickly and will lose their licences.
“Most people are getting the message but some people are choosing to be ignorant. We will continue targeting those individuals until they start taking responsibility for their actions and stop putting people’s lives at risk.”
The campaign has been assisted by members of the public who have played their part by passing information to the police about people they suspect are drink driving.
Sgt Pope urged the community to continue helping the police by providing intelligence to help catch people who drink or take drugs before getting behind the wheel.
He said: “I would like to thank the residents of York and North Yorkshire for their assistance and support during the campaign.
“The information they have passed on to us has been greatly appreciated and I would urge people to continue sharing their knowledge of drink drivers in their community with us.
“Fortunately, most people are aware that drink driving is dangerous and irresponsible, so they are willing to tell us when they know someone is doing it.
“I urge people to bear in mind that even though the summer drink driving campaign is drawing to a close, if you tell us about a drink driver we will act upon that information.”
A 69-year-old man from York was banned from driving from 18 months when he appeared at York Magistrates’ Court yesterday (Wednesday 22 May 2011).
Kenneth Cooper, of Fulford, was arrested on 7 June after a concerned member of the public contacted police to report that he had been drinking in a local pub and was due to drive home.
Officers stopped Cooper’s vehicle on Fordlands Road and he was arrested when he provided a positive breath test of 68 micrograms of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath.
He was also fined £200 and ordered to pay £85 costs.
Keith Standen, aged 61, from Ripon, was banned from driving for 12 months and fined £170 when he appeared before Harrogate Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday 22 June 2011.
He was also ordered to pay £85 in costs after he was caught driving on Clotherholme Road with 59 micrograms of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath.
42-year-old Richard Brady, from Harrogate, was hit with a 20-month driving ban when he appeared before Magistrates on Tuesday 21 June 2011.
He was stopped by officers in Asda car park, Bower Road, Harrogate, in the early hours of Saturday 4 June 2011, after reports that he appeared drunk before getting into his vehicle. He was breathalysed and recorded 77 micrograms of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath.
The court also fined Brady £200 and ordered him to pay £85 costs.
A York man had 10 points added to his licence when he appeared at York Magistrates’ Court on Monday 20 June 2011.
Jamie Rowell, aged 31, was arrested at around 7pm on Saturday 4 June 2011, after he appeared to be asleep at the wheel of his car in the Co-op car park in Acomb, York.
He refused to provide a breath test at the scene and was subsequently charged with failing to provide a specimen.
The court also fined him £200 and ordered him to pay £85 costs.
