LATEST figures show drink driving is still a problem in Wiltshire, despite hard-hitting advertising and increased enforcement activity, but the statistics are an improvement on last year’s.
The police launched the summer drink/drive campaign on June 1 and halfway through the results are positive. In Wiltshire 1,260 drivers were breath tested with 28 (2.2 per cent) testing positive, a drop on last year which saw 6.4 per cent test positive. A further 261 drivers who were under 25 years of age were also tested as part of the campaign with five (1.9 per cent) testing positive.
Insp Nick Elton, operations manager for the road policing unit, said: “I believe this has been the most productive drink drive campaign to date with the number of breath tests carried out locally having increased by nearly 71 per cent and we’re only halfway through the campaign.
“The 28 drink drivers breathalysed and arrested will be brought to justice and could face disqualification, a fine or potentially imprisonment as a result of their choice to drink and drive.
“I would reiterate to everyone else who is a driver that this campaign continues for the remainder of June and that Wiltshire Police is committed to continue to target drink and drug driving throughout the year along with the other major causes of serious injury and death on the roads, such as excess speed, mobile phone use, seatbelts, driving without insurance and driving with uncorrected poor eyesight.”
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