Rising threat of driving under the influence sees police forces across the UK running a nationally coordinated enforcement campaign.
The initiative has been welcomed by Cold Chain Federation member D.tec International, suppliers of drug and alcohol detection products, including DrugWipe, which is used by all 43 police forces in England, Wales and Scotland, as well as hundreds of safety-conscious businesses.
This summer campaign is in addition to the Christmas drink drug drive campaign which is run annually through December and January and has done for several years.
Over the course of two weeks – 15th August to 28th August, officers from across the UK will be increasing operational focus on those driving while impaired to reduce the risk of harm to road users and catch those that have no regard for the law.
One in twenty fatalities on our roads nationally are caused by drug drivers. Drug driving reports continue to rise year on year at an alarming rate. Ean Lewin, Managing Director of D.tec International said; “When 2022 statistics are available midway through next year, they will show for the first time that drug driving is more prevalent in society than drink driving, with more prosecutions for drug driving than drink driving.
He added: “I am delighted to see this coordinated effort to help address a significant and growing problem. One of the biggest road safety challenges in the UK is drug driving. Drink driving is still a significant issue. However, society has a greater understanding and acceptance of the consequences than drug driving, which now sees up to three times more arrests than drink driving in some parts of the UK”.
Ean said; “As welcome as this and other initiatives are which increase focus and awareness on this important subject, it’s not just the police that can help resolve this. Government must do more, starting with providing police forces with the money they need to effectively resource roads policing. Employers also have a part to play – with statistics suggesting that in some parts of the UK, over a third of those caught whilst driving under the influence are caught driving to work or, worse still, driving for work. This is true in Merseyside, where there is a strong focus on roads policing all year round”.
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