The police Xmas drink and drug driving campaigns for December 2023 have started with shocking results. The national operation Limit along with local campaigns such as operation Holly or Shepherds are well on the way. Operations will run until 2.1.24.
Every police area are running a campaign.
So far the results are as follows:
Merseyside 134 arrested
Wales 25 arrests for the first week.
Hampshire – 38 arrests including drug drivers.
The festive season has only just begun. In Hampshire/Isle of Wight last year there were 57 fatal road traffic accident of which 18% had drugs or alcohol in their system. In 2022 1695 were killed and 28101 seriously injured on our roads. Drivers who are under the influence of alcohol or drugs are 23 times more likely to be involved in a fatal road traffic accident.
Chief Police Officers are sending the message out loud and clear. Suffolk police have launched their #NoExcuse campaign and Chesire police urge drivers to make the right choice this Christmas. The Police commissioner for North Wales Andy Dunbobbin stated
“However, it is still disappointing to see people taking this risk and possibly breaking the law while driving under the influence of drink and drugs. Road safety is an issue of huge importance to me and I want to see everyone get home safely over the Christmas period. If anyone is considering drink or drug driving I would urge them to think again. Not only would they be breaking the law, they would be putting themselves and others at risk. Officers are ready and waiting to stop them and to stop the menace of drink and drug driving on our roads, and I hope the Force’s advertising campaign will reinforce this message clearly.”
The police will be out in force focussing on evenings and early mornings to catch drink and drug drivers.
We all know that you should not leave the party having drank or taken drugs to drive home – arrange a lift, have a designated driver – pre book a taxi to ensure you have transport to get you home but do not drive. However, particularly on the run up to Christmas, we often have to get up at the normal time to get into work – we have to drive to work.
The average person will eliminate about 8ug alcohol per hour, the range is 4 – 12ug per hour. I unit of alcohol is equivalent to 5-8ug in breath. A pint Beer @4 % has 2. 2 units and a Wine @ 12 % 2.1unit 175ml glass – so if you drink 5 pints over a 4 hour period you will not be below the limit until after an hour later if you eliminate at the average rate of 8ug if you have a lower rate (which you will not know) you will still be over the limit 4 hours later. The fact is that you cannot work out whether you will be over or not, the rule to be safe is not to drive after drinking. If you have drank a lot more than 5 points which is easily done at Christmas then the following morning go in later but even then do a test and take a photograph of it as this may provide you with special reasons to avoid a disqualification if you subsequently prove to be over the limit. It is very easy after a heavy drinking session into the early hours to be over the limit 12 hours later.
Drugs present a whole different problem because the limits are at zero tolerance and so low that a driver could be over the limit for hours and days after. Regular users of cannabis may be constantly over the legal limit of 2ug/L blood. Cocaine users will be over the limit of 10ug/L blood for 6-12 hours after use as a rule but the body produces a metabolite called Benzoylecgonine which rises for a few days after using cocaine and drivers are often over for 5 days or more as the legal limit is 50ug/L blood. Ketamine can be detected for 24 hours later.
Alcohol and drugs increase the risk of a fatal accident by 23 times. An incident which could easily fall under death by due care which starts at a community order with a maximum of 5 years imprisonment with a minimum disqualification of 12 months. However, death by due care with drugs/alcohol increases to a starting level of 26 weeks to 4 years custody whether or not you are over the prescribed limit for drugs and at 36ug – 50ug alcohol. It will not matter whether the drugs or alcohol in your system played any part in the cause of the accident.
If you are involved in a fatal road traffic accident you will be devastated, it will destroy not only the deceased family lives but also your family. You have to ask yourself is it worth the risk for the sake of the price of a taxi or public transport.
If you are an employer and you do not have a clear drink/drug drive policy (please note that do not drink or drug drive is not sufficient), then you could have problems as an employer. Particularly, this time of year when your employees could be drinking at your expense at the office party. You should ensure you have a clear driving policy and practices in place to reduce the risk of drink and drug driving. This should also include training such as our online courses:-
https://drivebright.auriga-advocates.com/pages/home/?site_template_id=5fd0e1588a5d0004982ddb0a
Auriga Advocates wish you very Merry and Safe Xmas. Remember save lives get a taxi!
Andrea Clegg
December 2023
References:
https://www.eastleighnews.co.uk/2023/12/police-warning-on-christmas-drink-and-drug-driving-campaign/
https://www.suffolk.police.uk/news/