Ten days into Operation Attention, North Yorkshire Police’s drink and drug driving Christmas campaign, and the force has already arrested 39 drivers for driving under the influence of drink or drugs.
Despite the numerous warnings police and partner agencies have issued to drivers about the dangers of getting behind the wheel after consuming alcohol or taking drugs, 39 drivers have chosen to ignore them and have been arrested for the offences.
The highest reading of the campaign so far was provided by a 45-year-old man from Catterick, who was arrested on 4 December 2017. He was arrested on suspicion of driving with alcohol over the legal limit, after he gave a reading of 128 micrograms of alcohol per 100 millilitres of breath, over three and half times the legal limit of 35 micrograms of alcohol per 100 millilitres of breath. The driver has been released under investigation as officers continue their enquiries.
So far the campaign has seen 34 men and five women arrested across the region, with the highest number of arrests being made in Scarborough (nine arrests), York (eight arrests) and Harrogate (seven arrests).
The first driver arrested in this year’s campaign appeared at York Magistrates Court on Thursday 7 December 2017. 52-year-old Tracy Roberts of Middleton Road, York pleaded guilty to driving a vehicle when alcohol level was above the legal limit. She was disqualified from driving for 15 months and ordered to pay £415 in fines and costs.
Speaking about the progress of the campaign so far Sergeant Andy Morton of the Roads Policing Group said:
Unfortunately we are again seeing drivers placing themselves and others at unnecessary risk, by drinking or taking drugs and getting behind the wheel.
As we said at the start of this campaign, North Yorkshire Police is actively patrolling and targeting these drivers and we will arrest you and take you off the road.
If the fact that you could kill or seriously injure an innocent person through your own selfish act doesn’t deter you from drink or drug driving, maybe the fact that you will be arrested, taken into custody and a court appearance will.
You’ll face a hefty fine, loss of your licence and potentially a prison sentence – not to mention potential loss of employment, income and in some cases I have dealt with, relationship breakdown and loss of home.
You have to ask yourself – is it really worth the risk?
Operation Attention will continue to run over the festive period up to 1 January 2018.
