180 drink and drug driving arrests in three weeks across West Mercia

Officers say enforcing the drink and drug drive law is a year-round commitment.

While the vast majority of drivers do the right thing, this week alone officers in Shropshire Herefordshire and Worcestershire have detected 72 drink/drug drive offences.

They include a 46-year-old man who failed a breath test at the Clock Tower roundabout in Telford at 3.29am on December 16.

"A 33-year-old male was arrested on the same day at 12.28pm driving along the A495 Ellesmere, Shropshire under the influence of drugs," added a West Mercia Police spokesperson.

On December 20 at 1.30am a 36-year-old man was arrested in Shrewsbury for failing a roadside breath test.

There have also been two recent arrests in Ledbury, Herefordshire. Police said a 55-year-old man was arrested on December 15 at 11.37am for driving along Bye Street with excess drugs in his system. On December 19 a 49-year-old woman was arrested at 4.06pm for driving under the influence of alcohol.

Superintendent Steph Brighton, for West Mercia Police, said roads policing officers carried out targeted enforcement operations this week across the South Shropshire/Herefordshire border, with a total of 28 vehicles stopped for a number of offences, including five arrests for drug driving.

"If driving or attempting to drive while above the legal limit or unfit through drink you may get six months’ imprisonment, an unlimited fine, a driving ban for at least one year (three years if convicted twice in 10 years)," she said.

"A conviction for drink-driving can also means your car insurance costs will increase significantly, if you drive for work, your employer will see your conviction on your licence and you may also have trouble travelling to countries like the USA.

Superintendent Brighton said that in the last three years, 23 people have died and 154 have been seriously injured in collisions across Herefordshire, Shropshire and Worcestershire where alcohol has been listed as a contributory factor. A further 12 people have been killed and 68 seriously injured in collisions where drugs have been involved.

She added: “It’s extremely frustrating that some motorists inexcusably still drive under the influence of alcohol or drugs. There is no fool-proof way of calculating how much you can drink and remain under the limit, or knowing how much an individual person can drink and still drive safely.

"Any amount of alcohol can affect your ability to drive and there are numerous consequences of driving with alcohol in your system.

"Enforcement already takes place 24/7 across the whole of our area in order to detect those who are willing to take the risk and to protect other road users. We hope that more people over the Christmas period choose a suitable alternative to alcohol if they are driving.”