More than 150 arrests and 1,500 roadsides tests as police crackdown on drink driving offences in Staffordshire
Police have announced that they have arrested 154 people as part of their intensive crackdown on drink and drug driving in Staffordshire.
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The increase in arrests and roadside tests comes after Staffordshire Police launched a month-long campaign intensifying their crackdown on drink and drug-driving-related offences called Operation Limit.
Forces across the UK have been supporting the initiative since 2022 after statistics revealed 467 collisions were caused by drink and drug driving in December that year.
A total of 422 collisions were caused by drink or driving the following year.
Chief Inspector Scott McGrath, head of the RCT, said: “Through Operation Limit our officers have been working hard each and every day to take proactive action against those putting other people at risk on our roads.
“Collisions caused by drug or drink driving are horrific events that can devastate families.
“Those who get behind the wheel under the influence and cause serious injury or death will struggle to find any justification for their actions when they come face to face with a victim’s loved ones, or their own family members, at court.
“An operation isn’t just for Christmas, though. Our efforts to make sure people are safe behind the wheel in Staffordshire continue 24/7, 365 days a year.”
Officers from the Staffordshire Police Roads Crimes Team have been supporting the wider force during the campaign, resulting in:
A total of 1,544 roadside drink and drug driving tests are being carried out
78 people being arrested for providing a positive roadside breath test
53 motorists being arrested on suspicion of drug driving offences
10 people being arrested for failing to provide a roadside breath test
And 13 others were arrested for being drunk and in charge of a vehicle
The campaign comes after a devastating period of loss in 2023, where 45 people sadly lost their lives on the roads of Staffordshire, with Staffordshire Police saying many of the incidents could have been avoided.
Since the RCT's launch on October 1, officers have arrested 211 people on suspicion of driving offences and seized more than 450 vehicles and criminal assets with an estimated value of more than £1.7 million.
