Drink Drive Campaign Launches

St.Helens Council's Traffic and Road Safety Team are joining forces with Merseyside Police in a campaign to tackle drink driving leading up to Christmas and New Year.

Road safety teams will patrol different venues across the borough before and after Christmas.We will be going out with the Police teams to different venues around the borough both before and after Christmas.

Police Officers will be stopping and checking drivers who are committing traffic offences  The drivers who are stopped will also receive road safety messages about the dangers of drinking and driving, including being still over the limit from the night before. 

Last year there were 253 arrests for drink/ drug driving in St Helens in the 2011/12; there were seven collisions involving a drink/ drug driver (two were killed and five seriously injured). There were 24 casualties overall in collisions involving a drink/drug driver.

Drivers impaired by drink/ drugs was a contributory factor in 10% of the killed or seriously injured collisions over this period.

Councillor Richard McCauley, Cabinet Member for Environmental Protection and Safer Communities said:  "It's all too easy to pop in for a quick drink with friends and colleagues at this time of year but it is vital to remember the dangers of drink/drug driving which can have fatal consequences.  Know the legal limits.  Better still don't drink/drug drive at all."

Chief Inspector John Hogan, head of Roads Policing in Merseyside said: "Despite the obvious dangers of combining driving with alcohol or drugs, every year there are a number of people who are prepared to flout the law and continue to drive. It only takes one of these people to lose control of their vehicle and kill or seriously injure another person - whether that be a stranger, friend or loved one. We want people to enjoy the festivities safely to ensure that the Christmas period is memorable for all the right reasons."