There has been an increase in the number of drink drive arrests in Cheshire this year compared to 2013.
Throughout June a total of 136 people were arrested for drink driving in Cheshire, compared to 112 arrests in 2013, a 21% increase.
Assistant chief constable Guy Hindle said: “It is disappointing to see that some people still think that it is safe to drive whilst under the influence of alcohol, despite repeated warnings about the dangers. Our officers are having deal with the consequences of road traffic collisions caused by alcohol on a daily basis.”
This year′s Cheshire Police drink driving campaign coincided with the World Cup, and officers used a much more targeted approach when conducting breath tests.
Inspector Richard Hill from the Roads Policing Team said: “During previous sporting events we have experienced an increase in the number of drink drivers. To target this many of the breath tests we conducted were taken before or after specific football matches, in addition to the morning after games.
“Whilst I am disappointed that the number of drink driver arrests has increased, I also believe that the force is sending out a clear message to road users that drink driving will not be tolerated.”
As well as targeting drink drivers on the road, Cheshire Police and their partners also held a series of road safety events across the county where they displayed the ‘Think Car′, a vehicle that was involved in a fatal collision.
The driver of the car, Matthew, was a 21-year-old man who died on impact after losing control and hitting a tree on a rural A-road in Cheshire. He was one and a half times over the legal alcohol limit at the time of the collision.
In total the police conducted 1445 breath test throughout June, with the majority of the tests being conducted between midnight and 4am. In addition to the 136 people arrested for drink driving, three people were arrested for drug driving.