“Please plan your journeys this summer and make sure a day in the sun doesn’t turn into a night in a cell, or worse” – that is the message as Hampshire Constabulary’s Roads Policing Unit as the Force launches its Summer drink drive campaign.
Over the course of 2 weeks – until 28th August – officers will be increasing operational focus on those driving while impaired to reduce the risk of harm to road users.
Alcohol and drugs vastly reduce your abilities behind the wheel, particularly the ability to react to situations, and increases the danger of being killed or seriously injured on our roads.
Chief Inspector Chris Spellerberg, of the Joint Operations Roads Policing Unit, said:
“The message is simple, if you’re drinking alcohol, let someone else do the driving. If you think you are safe to drive after drinking, think again.
“Operations like this one are vitally important to bring the message home – this is all about saving lives and reducing harm on our roads. The consequences of driving while impaired are so impactive, too many people have lost their lives or been seriously injured as a result of drink and drug drivers.
“We are urging people to plan how they will be getting home from parties, barbecues and days at the beach in advance if you will be drinking. Pre-book a taxi, use public transport or have a designated driver so nobody gets behind the wheel when they shouldn’t.
“Another thing we want to highlight is you may still be over the limit the next day, as it can take hours for alcohol and drugs to leave your system.
Article continues below this advertisement “Even the slightest amount of alcohol or drugs in your system has the ability to effect the way you drive, increasing the risk of serious harm to yourself and other innocent road users.
“Please plan your journeys this summer and make sure a day in the sun doesn’t turn into a night in a cell, or worse.
“Our message is simple. Don’t drink or drug drive – it’s not worth the risk.
“If you know of anyone who is drink or drug driving call 999 in an emergency, 101 with information or report via Crimestoppers.”
ENDS
If you wait just a little way from most of the rural pubs you will catch loads. They seem to attract those who don’t give a s**t about any laws at all. Brighstone, Wroxall, Newchurch might be a great start.
And don’t forget Freshwater which stinks of dope especially back of Brookside and Queens road and dope drivers speeding around Freshwster and Yarmouth .Who needs speed limits certainly not used around Freshwster and Military road and being cut up on Shalfleet. Meanwhile police vans parked at Yarmouth Harbour.
It’s a pity they can’t have a blitz on all those cars and bikes with modified exhausts. Not as dangerous as D and D, but definitely antisocial.
i think bikes should have modified exhausts on them. CAR DRIVERS DONT SEE THEM OR THEY DONT LOOK !!
Same for electric cars they should defiantly make more of a noise,
(If you feel the need to point out electric cars don’t have exhausts please take the time to google the word “sarcasm” before posting and looking silly)
(if you feel the need to point out some electric cars are given a fake engine noise for a more sporty feel then well done you are very clever you hang in there son you are special)
obvious you do not care about other peoples ears….. why make a small motorbike sound like it is being dragged down a road in a tin can.. the engine is what it is, is not supposed to be awfully loud, screaming or backfiring, on public roads !
You are lucky, one day you may go stone deaf, and you would be so glad to hear any sound.
Move if you are bothered by noisy neighbours motorbikes.
I agree with you. Everyone moans about motorbike noises yet fail to realise the person riding it is more than likely paying their benefits!
If they had been parked in my drive yesterday afternoon in Neeport Road Godshill 2 would have been caught. They were so fast smoke was bellowing out the exhaust
If they had been parked in your drive you most probably would of told them to get off your drive.
As home video cameras have become high quality and cheap along with being very small, SURELY it would be easy for the authorities to fit even more robust and better quality cameras, on almost every road if they wished too now.
Then they could concentrate on catching those cars and motorbikes who break the limit by massive margins, not just someone going to work doing 34mph in a 30 zone, causing resentment and not addressing the real accident makers here.
Many of these drivers are on, or are supplying drugs to others, and have no fear of being caught hence drive as they please.
Courts need to jail offenders too
The likelihood of death from impact at 30mph is one in five, that figure increases to one in three at 35mph. The set speed limit for any area is a maximum not a minimum. Speeding kills, period.
They already have CCTV in most towns and on some roads, but sadly no one to man them !! The lovely council saw to that !!
drink drugs no insurance. no mot. no tax. don’t have to drive round looking for them just park up on any road in Newport Ryde Sandown Shanklin or any road on the island. this island is full of them
Problem is, plod cars are not fitted with ANPR…
Problem is police don’t do anything.
Why announce it – just get on with it. We want them caught – not to hide away for a couple of weeks then reappear when its all over
Exactly – Another half baked charm offensive telling us they’re upping their game to carry out what they’re supposed to be doing anyway! Plod by name Plod by nature.
Look forward to a rise in the police precept.
Summer crackdown? it should be every hour of every day of the year, and why announce the operation?
Just another bit of rhetoric posturing from Hampshires Finest! They’ve been fully aware that my neighbours regularly drink drive and from where but have they been caught? No they haven’t. As for that waste of space ‘anonymous (NOT) Crimestoppers outfit. I wouldn’t trust them for discretion as much as I’d trust the discretion of a megaphone in a high street.
Should be the norm, not a ‘special’ occasion.
Exactly, well said how many more deaths do we need
Why only 2 weeks, this should be a priority every week, oh i forgot this is the Isle of Wight police.
Why just the summer, it is all year the crack down is needed.
I agree that this should be the norm and not a special effort, but the Police do their best with limited funding.
I do hope they make an effort to catch the people who ride illegal private e-scooters in public, and those who use the Beryl scooters illegally – under age, two-up and using other peoples licences. Clamp down now, and crush the illegally ridden e-scooters.
You were doing well then up until the final sentence.
They should check out some of the ones driving disability scooters home from pubs !! Have seen one parked outside high street pub, early evening until closing time… then drove it home.. very tanked !!
Be nice if they also clamped down on the speeding motor scooters and bikes particularly through Ryde along Appley Road and in Nettlestone and Seaview which happens most nights and has been going on for over a month
Too many laws and not enough police officers to enforce the law as it is! It’s not any officers personal fault it’s the governments responsibility to ensure there are enough officers to do the job in the first place. Makes me laugh how everyone Criticises the police till they need them!