“I hope this acts as a wake-up call and worries the public, because it worries us” – that’s the message from our Head of Roads Policing after more than 300 people were arrested during our Christmas anti-drink and drug driving campaign.
The campaign ran during the month of December and saw 313 people arrested – 140 on suspicion of drink driving, 139 on suspicion of drug driving, and 34 for failing to provide a specimen.
The total number of arrests is more than double the 148 from the same time in 2017.
Adam Pipe, Head of Roads Policing for Essex Police, said: “This is an unprecedented number of arrests for a drink and drug driving campaign period, let alone any other month.
“To have, on average, 10 people a day arrested for drink or drug driving related offences is frightening enough but I actually think that’s only the tip of the iceberg.
Read more from Essex Police (UK, January 2019)