Your help needed to stop drink and drug driving

Throughout June and July Cambridgeshire will take part in a national drink and drug driving enforcement campaign.

The public are asked to help catch those under the influence by using the confidential reporting line - 0800 032 0845, which is available 24/7.

Insp Phil Bloor said: “Sadly there are still people who think it is acceptable to drive under the influence of drink or drugs. They risk not only their own lives but also those of any passengers and other road users.

“We will often pull over a driver over the limit who, despite being over the legal limit, believed they were still fit for driving. However this is never the case alcohol or drugs will always affect your driving for the worse and although it may give use a feeling of overconfidence the truth is your reactions are slower and you are a danger on the roads.

“People may have concerns about someone they know who may be drink driving or notice someone who regularly drives their vehicle home from the pub despite having several drinks.

“We are asking people to help us make the roads a safer place for everyone and reporting any drink or drug driving concerns on our confidential reporting line.”

Throughout June and July officers from Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire Road Policing Unit will carry out stop checks across the three counties.

Last year (2015) in Cambridgeshire 860 people were arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence of drink and drugs.

Last March (2015) the law relating to driving under the influence of drugs was changed to make it easier to prosecute those exceeding set limits and the introduction of roadside test kits has helped officers identify people driving under the influence of drugs. The legislation covers some prescribed drugs as well as illegal substances.

The penalties for drug driving are the same as those for drink driving. If convicted, motorists could lose their licence, be fined up to £5,000 and even face a prison sentence.