Thames Valley Police launches its Christmas drink-driving campaign

Thames Valley Police’s Christmas drink drive campaign kicked off last week to crack down on the destruction caused by people who drive after drinking or taking drugs.

TVP is working with Hampshire Constabulary on a joint operation to deter and detect behaviour behind the wheel that puts lives in danger on our roads.

Drink and drug-driving is one of the ‘fatal four’ factors that result in collisions that cause people to be killed or seriously injured.

Operations are being conducted by officers around the clock during December and every driver involved in a collision will be breathalysed by police. Extra patrols based on intelligence about suspected offenders will also be made.

The public are also being urged to report to police anyone driving while impaired by drink or drugs, by calling 101 or texting 80999 with all the details of the vehicle, driver, location and times, or 999 in a life-threatening emergency. To remain anonymous, call Crimestoppers on 0800 555111.

On Tuesday, December 6, there will be a live web chat with Ch Insp Henry Parsons, of the Joint Roads Policing Unit, who will be online to answer questions about drink/drug-driving, whether it is about the legal alcohol limit, penalties for drink/drug-driving, how alcohol and drugs affect your driving, or something else related to drink/drug-driving.

To take part in the session - anonymously - from 6.30pm to 7.30pm, visit the Force’s Cover-it-Live page at http://thamesvp.coverpage.coveritlive.com/.

Thames Valley Police’s road safety lead, Sgt Chris Appleby, said: “Drivers who drink or take drugs and cause deaths on the road can be sentenced to years of imprisonment.

“Losing a loved one to drink or drug-driving devastates the victim’s families – think about their pain when sitting at the dinner table on Christmas Day and someone is not there because of an act of drink or drug-driving.

“Members of the public can help by passing us vital information and help us take these drivers off the roads by calling police either 101 or, in an emergency, 999.”

During last year’s Christmas drink driving campaign, 297 people were arrested on suspicion of drink and/or drug-driving. Between May 2012 and September 2016, 12,444 drivers have been arrested on suspicion of drink/drug-driving.

Since 2011, there have been 46 fatalities on roads in the TVP Force area in which alcohol or drugs may have been a contributory factor.

Consequences from being convicted of drink-driving including increases in car insurance premium, losing your job and difficulty in getting another, difficulty in travelling to America with a criminal conviction and having to declare the conviction to get a mortgage.