Police make 7,100 drink and drug driving arrests over Christmas

Date: 20/1/2012

Some 7,100 people were arrested during a month-long campaign to crack down on drink and drug driving over the Christmas and New Year period.

Figures from the Association of Chief Police Officers show this was an increase of 16 per cent compared with the previous year.

Information from the public was used in conjunction with official intelligence to focus efforts on known routes favoured by inebriated motorists.

Road safety charity Brake welcomed the news, but claimed more can still be done to tackle the issue.

Senior Campaigns Officer at the organisation Ellen Booth said the government needs to make policing the roads a higher priority.

"Brake is calling for roadside drug testing devices and a new offence of driving with illegal drugs in your system," she added.

The charity recently revealed 11 per cent of motorists aged between 17 and 25 have driven after using illegal drugs in the past year, up from the figure of nine per cent recorded four years ago.

Posted by Sarah Bailey