Police forces nationwide have launched their annual summer crackdown on motorists driving under the influence of drink or drugs.
Chief Constable Suzette Davenport, the National Police Chiefs’ Council, previously the Association of Chief Police Officers’, lead on roads policing, is warning motorists that police will be on heightened alert.
The campaign runs throughout June and Ms Davenport said: “We all enjoy the prospect of the longer evenings and the possibilities they present for socialising in homes, gardens, local pubs, festivals and other events.
“But there is a price to be paid for thinking that, if you drink or take drugs and get behind the wheel, you will still be safe. You will not be safe to drive and pose a threat to yourself and others, and you will not be safe from detection by the police if you try anyway.
“This summer will be the first campaign with new drug-testing kits in place to detect cannabis and cocaine as well as standard kits for alcohol testing, so we are better equipped than ever to detect and penalise those who take this very dangerous risk. Using intelligence received from the public and on likely areas for offending to occur, we will be ready for action to keep the road network safe, whether it be at night or the morning after. When it comes to drink and drugs behind the wheel, any amount is too much.”
In the 2014 summer drink-drive campaign, 63,688 breath tests were administered, leading to 4,108 refusing, failing or testing positive (6.45%.