Five drivers have been banned for a total of 12 years after they were caught as part of North Yorkshire Police’s summer drink and drug driving campaign.
They are the first wave of motorists to be convicted under the month-long crackdown, which coincides with the FIFA World Cup.
Magistrates have handed them lengthy driving bans of up to four years.
The most intoxicated of the five defendants was more than three-and-a-half times the legal drink drive limit.
Speaking about the results after the court cases had concluded, Roads Policing Inspector Dave Barf said:
It’s absolutely disgusting that within just a few days of launching our highly-publicised summer drink and drug driving campaign, we encountered drivers who are more than three times over the limit.
It’s difficult to comprehend why anyone thinks it’s okay to drive after drinking that much.
However, it’s encouraging to see magistrates handing out some pretty lengthy driving bans as our first cases from the campaign reach court.
People who drive under the influence need to be taken off the roads. I can say that from first-hand experience of dealing with the consequences.
When you arrive on the scene of a drink drive collision, you see things you can never erase from your memory.
You see horrendous, irreparable damage inflicted on the human body. You see people in such shock they are physically sick. And you see families who know a loved one is dead but can’t comprehend the magnitude of what’s just happened. It’s always heart-breaking to know these incidents could have been avoided. If you could see what we see, you’d never drink and drive.
Think how you would feel if you’d caused the death of someone on the road be that a loved one or a stranger when you maybe suffer a momentary lapse in your concentration – the consequences of which can be massive.
Think then how hard that would be if you were found to be drunk. Your selfish desire to have a drink led to the death of someone – they’re never coming back – you can’t press ‘reset’. Your choices have consequences and it can and does happen. It bears repeating that no one we deal with expected to have a collision. They all expected to make it home safe – just like you do today.
The legal breath alcohol limit in England is 35/100mg. The five convicted drivers arrested during the summer campaign are:
John Albert Fox, 52, of Copmanthorpe near York: Banned from driving for 40 months and ordered to do 240 hours of unpaid work for drink driving. He blew 128/100mg when officers stopped the Renault Megan he was driving in Dringhouses, York on 18 June.
Rebecca Susan Nicholson, 40, of West Burton near Leyburn: Banned from driving for 48 months, given a community order and fined £106 for drink driving. She blew 110/100mg when police stopped her on the A684 in Wensley on 18 June.
Jeremy Peter Barron, 36, of St Mary’s Crescent, Whitby: Banned from driving for 16 months and fined £146 for drink driving and driving without insurance. He blew 57/100mgwhen he was stopped while driving a Ford Transit in the Scarborough area on 16 June.
Andrew Goldie, 35, from Scunthorpe: Banned from driving for 14 months and fined £266 for drink driving. He blew 49/100mg after police stopped the BMW he was driving on the A169 near Sleights, Whitby on 16 June.
Richard Raynor, 49, of Staithes near Whitby: Banned from driving for 28 months and fined £3,455 for failing to provide a specimen after he was arrested on suspicion of drug driving in an Audi S3 in Ryedale on 14 June.
A total of 80 drivers have now been arrested on suspicion of drink or drug driving-related offences since the campaign began on 14 June.
Police are carrying out hundreds of breath tests across North Yorkshire and performing stop checks at all times of the night and day including early mornings to detect those who are still over the limit from the night before.
They are also targeting known offenders and key locations throughout the county.
