The Police have thanked the public for their support during this summer’s drink and drug driving campaign.
Officers urged the people of North Yorkshire to ‘dob in a drink driver’ or ‘grass on a drug driver.’ and get behind the month-long crackdown and
Breakdown of arrests
- York – 23
- Selby District – 11
- Harrogate – 14
- Craven – 7
- Hambleton and Richmondshire – 23
- Scarborough and Ryedale – 25
Thanks to a large volume of calls from responsible members of the public, officers made 103 arrests between 1 June and 1 July 2013.
Information about suspected drink and drug drivers allows the police to target specific people and areas, which is extremely useful when officers are out on patrol enforcing the campaign.
Traffic Sergeant Pete Stringer, of North Yorkshire Police’s Roads Policing Group, said:
The support we have had from the public throughout this campaign has been fantastic and I would like to thank each and every person who has called in to report a suspected drink or drug driver.
Over the past couple of campaigns, both at Christmas and last summer, we have seen a rise in the number of people who want to help us and it is really pleasing that the support has increased during this campaign.
Arresting over 100 people may seem like a lot but it shows that we are catching offenders and getting them off the roads before they cause serious damage to themselves or somebody else.
We all know that drink driving is illegal, irresponsible, dangerous and deadly and even though this particular campaign is over, I urge people to keep picking up the phone and help us to save lives.
Officers charged 59 people with drink driving during the summer campaign and 23 of those have already been banned from the roads for between one and five years.
The highest positive breath test was recorded by officers in Selby on the first day of the campaign.
Rinalds Zacs, aged 29, was found to be almost five times the legal limit when officers stopped him on Hilda Street in Selby.
He recorded a breathalyser reading of 131 micrograms of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath.
Magistrates in York banned him from the roads for 32 months and ordered him to carry out 200 hours unpaid work, after he pleaded guilty to drink driving when he appeared before them on 21 June 2013.
TS Stringer added:
If you are guilty of drink driving you face a ban of at least 12 months, which could well cost you your job, relationship, or even your home.
There is too much to lose just for the sake of a drink. Don’t risk it, as the chances are you will get caught.
If you have a crash, we will breathalyse you. If someone tells us you have been drink driving, we will breathalyse you. If we suspect you have been drink driving, we will breathalyse you. If you are randomly stopped during a drink driving operation, we will breathalyse you.
It simply isn’t worth it. Keep yourself and other people safe by doing the responsible thing by either not drinking at all before driving or arranging alternative transport if you are having a drink.
If you would like to report a drink or drug driver, please contact North Yorkshire Police on 101 – select option 1 – and pass information to the Force Control Room. If you wish to remain anonymous, contact Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
