Christmas campaign highlights ‘how it feels’ to deal with drink and drug driving

Essex Police and the Safer Essex Roads Partnership (SERP) have teamed up to launch a drink and drug drive campaign which will run throughout the festive period until 1 January 2018.

The campaign highlights the far-reaching consequences of driving while under the influence of drink or drugs, by showing ‘how it feels’ for the emergency services who deal first-hand with road traffic collisions.

The campaign is supported by Essex County Fire & Rescue Service, the East of England Ambulance Service NHS Trust, the Essex & Herts Air Ambulance and the Fire and Crime Commissioner for Essex.

Essex Police will also be issuing custody pictures of people convicted of drink or drug driving during the campaign.

Nearly 650 people have been arrested in Essex on suspicion of drug driving in the last 12 months, while almost 1,100 arrests have been made on suspicion of drink driving – and 12% of all collisions in Essex in the last year involved a driver who tested positive for drink driving.

Adam Pipe, casualty reduction manager at Essex Police, said:

“The consequences of drink or drug driving are so serious and can have such a devastating impact – I cannot understand why anyone would want to take the chance.

“No officer wants to have to knock on someone’s door and tell them a loved one has died. Would you want to have that on your conscience?”

Nicola Foster, chair of SERP, said:

“The devastation that drink and drug driving causes is clear, yet we continue to see drink and drug driving behaviour on the roads of Essex.

“We would urge anyone who is aware of a driver who has been drinking or has taken drugs to stop them or report them; for their safety and the safety of others. Think! Never drink or drug drive. It’s not worth the risk.”

07 December 2017