Cumbria police launch festive drink-drive crackdown (From The Westmorland Gazette)
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Cumbria police launch festive drink-drive crackdown
10:00am Tuesday 4th December 2012 in News
By Mike Addison, Assistant editor
MORNING motorists still under the influence of drink after a night out are to be the focus of this year’s Cumbria police Christmas drink-drive campaign.
Young male motorists will also be a target as the crackdown gets into gear this week – with stop checks across the county.
Last year, 3,345 breath tests were carried out in Cumbria over the festive season, resulting in 96 people – 76 men and 20 women – either failing or refusing a test. Thirty per cent of them were aged under 25.
Sgt Joanne Walker, from the roads policing unit, said: “We dedicate resources to this cam-paign each year and aim to catch anyone who drives while under the influence.
“The aim is to save lives. Driving when under the influence of drink or drugs impairs your capability and can result in death.
“In the run-up to Christmas, people are planning parties, going out with colleagues, friends and families and enjoying themselves – we want people to include planning how they are going to get home.
,“If you are in a group then the cost of a taxi will be minimal.
“If you are a dedicated driver, make sure you don’t drink, and if you are tempted then make other arrangements.”
Sgt Walker added that traffic officers had seen a slight increase in the number of people under the influence of alcohol found driving the following day.
“Everyone is different and people know how they feel after a night out,” said Sgt Walker. “Take responsibility. If you know that you will be having a lot to drink then make arrangements for travel the following day. “Don’t take any risk, it is not just your life you are putting in danger but the lives of other road users.
“We will be targeting young male drivers, who appear to be the biggest contributing factor of drink-drivers around this time of year.”
Chris Broadbent, from the Cumbria Road Safety Partnership, said: “This is a vital campaign which we support every year.
“It is shocking that there are still people who will get behind the wheel of a car when under the influence and put not only their own lives in danger, but the lives of others. The message is simple – never drink and drive.”
The campaign will run from December 1 to 31 and will feature on police social media campaigns with key messages and information updates posted on Facebook and Twitter.
HardJelly says...
12:14pm Tue 4 Dec 12
When can the police require a breath test?
Anyone who is driving, attempting to drive, or in charge of a motor vehicle, whether it be on the road or in a public place (for example a pub car park or a garage forecourt), may be required by the police to provide a breath test, in order to check that they are under the prescribed limit of alcohol, which stands at 35 micrograms of alcohol per 100 millilitres of breath (or 80 milligrams of alcohol per 100 millilitres of blood).
Only a police officer can make this request. The officer no longer has to be in uniform to require a preliminary test (breath test), but he does have to be uniformed to administer it (unless after an accident). The request can only be made in one of the following scenarios:
1.The police officer has reasonable cause to suspect that you have committed, or are currently committing, a moving traffic offence;
2.Having stopped them, an officer has reasonable cause to suspect that the person driving/attempting to drive/in charge of the vehicle has consumed alcohol;
3.The police officer has reasonable cause to believe that you were the person driving/attempting to drive/in charge of a motor vehicle which was involved in an accident.
This means the police cannot simply stop you at any time and insist on a breath test. They are entitled to randomly stop your car, but they can only insist on a breath test in one of the cases described above.