August 22nd, 2012 by Marcus
Motorists heading to Creamfields festival this weekend have been warned not to drink or take drugs.
Police have announced they will be carrying out spot checks on cars around the festival site in Daresbury.
PC Andy Taylor, of Cheshire Police, said: “A team of officers will be dedicated to field impairment testing, which can detect if anyone has taken drugs or driven.”
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August 15th, 2012 by Marcus
Young drivers in North Wales are being targeted by a new North Wales Police campaign.
Operation sodium aims to tackle drink and drug driving amongst young drivers between the ages of 17 and 25 years old.
The campaign has been launched in response to the growing number of young people injured on the roads of North Wales and the surround rural roads.
Some of the emerging factors in accidents involving young drivers include drink and drug driving, excessive speeding, aggressive driving and failing to wearing a seatbelt.
The campaign will see officers from the Road Policing Units stepping up checks and stopping more vehicles frequently.
North Wales police currently have a robust strategy around enforced the ‘Fatal 5’ offences which are drink and drug driving, dangerous driving, speeding, failing to wear a seatbelt and using a mobile phone while driving.
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August 8th, 2012 by Marcus
More than 10,000 drivers in North Wales have been breath tested as part of an anti drink and drugs campaign.
Of the 10,517 tested, 101 proved positive.
Across Wales, a total of 19,277 breath tests were administered with 360 testing positive.
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July 30th, 2012 by Marcus
Motorists using prescribed painkillers such as morphine and codeine could be charged with ‘drug driving’ under a new proposed law designed to keep dangerous hard drug users off British Roads.
Ministers have confirmed that opioid-based medicines may be covered by the new offence, even if they have been prescribed by a doctor and the recommended dose is taken.
The Government is introducing the new law amid growing concerns about drug-users behind the wheel.
If successful, it will make it easier for police to take action by making it an offence for motorists to drive with controlled drugs in their body.
Ministers have insisted that they are targeting those who use the road after using Class-A drugs, such as heroin and cocaine. However, critics have complained that the measures could hit innocent motorists who take legitimate painkillers to ease often chronic conditions.
The British Medical Association warned that ‘blanket bans’ on motorists driving after taking prescription medicine could ‘meet considerable legal challenge unless there is clear evidence that links exposure to known levels of driving impairment, as is the case with alcohol.’
Baroness Hamwee, a Liberal Democrat peer, complained that the proposals could punish motorists who took their prescribed medication at the doses recommended by their doctor: ‘If the drug driving limit is set at zero, this will disqualify thousands of people taking very common medicines’.
Dr Beverly Collett, chair of the Chronic Pain Policy Coalition, welcomed the move to criminalise driving while intoxicated by recreational drugs, but added: ‘Opioids and other medications are taken by people living in pain and pain itself can cause cognitive impairment.’
The Transport Research Laboratory has estimated that drugs are a key factor in nearly a quarter of fatal road accidents.
A 2009 study funded by the Government found that one in 10 young motorists admitted to driving after taking illegal drugs.
Department for Transport officials insisted the existing legislation on driving while impaired by drugs covered both illegal and prescribed substances. Mike Penning, Transport Minister, said the new offence allowed motorists a statutory defence where they had taken medicines containing specified controlled drugs in accordance with medical advice, although they could have go to before a court to plead.
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July 23rd, 2012 by Marcus
The number of people caught drink driving during a summer crackdown across Wales has fallen compared to the previous year.
A total of 360 people tested positive for alcohol or drugs 1.9% of 19,277 tested in June.
It is down from the 2.5% who tested positive during the 2011 campaign.
South Wales police recorded the highest percentage of motorists who tested positive for alcohol or drugs at 4%.
Total breath tests administered;
Dyfed-Powys – 2,273
Gwent – 3,261
South Wales – 3,226
North Wales – 10,517
Total – 19,277
Total positive, refused or failed to provide;
Dyfed-Powys – 79
Gwent – 50
South Wales – 130
North Wales – 101
Total – 360
% of those that were positive, refused or failed to provide
Dyfed-Powys – 3.5%
Gwent – 1.5%
South Wales – 4.0%
North Wales – 1.0%
Total – 1.9%
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July 18th, 2012 by Marcus
A 27-year-old man has admitted causing the death of a 17-year-old girl in a car crash.
Matthew Norcott, pleaded guilty to causing the death of Lara Smith by careless driving while unfit through drugs and causing death while driving without a licence as a result of an earlier disqualification and as a result driving without insurance.
He also admitted possession of class A drugs with intent to supply at a hearing at Luton Crown Court.
Sentencing was adjourned for reports and Norcott was remanded to appear at court in August.
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July 11th, 2012 by Marcus
A motorist has been cleared of driving while under the influence of drugs.
Rahim Rashid, had originally been found guilty of driving while unfit to drive through drugs last year.
He appealed against the judgement of Leicester Magistrates’ Court and his appeal was upheld by a judge at Leicester Crown, who cleared him of the offence.
It resulted in a 16-month driving ban being overturned and his licence returned to him.
A sum of £315 paid in fines and costs has also been reimbursed.
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July 9th, 2012 by Marcus
Police have announced that a total of 131 people were arrested for drink or drug driving offences across Avon & Somerset during Junes month long crackdown – 50 fewer than during the same period in 2011.
During the crackdown, officers gave motoring advice to all drivers they stopped and were also looking out for increasing numbers of people who tweet, phone or use other social media while driving.
People were also asked to use their mobile phone to text the word ‘drunk’ to a designated mobile phone number used to send in information about someone they think could possibly be driving while under the influence of drink or drugs.
A total of 14 text messages were received.
Five of 131 arrests were for driving while unfit through the use of drugs.
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July 5th, 2012 by Marcus
North Yorkshire Police made 93 arrests during its annual summer drink and drug drive campaign.
the campaign began on 1 June 2374 drivers were breathalysed by officers patrolling the roads of North Yorkshire and the City of York.
As a result of the campaign, 22 drink drivers have already been banned from the roads with a further 30 suspects who have been charged with drink driving awaiting court dates also face disqualification.
A further 23 suspected drink or drug drivers are currently on bail awaiting the outcome of further police enquiries. 16 people were released without further action.
A 15-year-old youth was given a four month Youth Offender Panel order and another motorist had her licence endorsed with 10 penalty points.
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June 21st, 2012 by Marcus
A motorist who only passed his test two weeks ago was one of more than 200 people caught drink driving during a national crackdown.
The 23 year old man was stopped by police in Fife, during the two week operation which ended on Monday.
The final tally of 229 drink drivers fell slightly from the same period last year when 238 people were reported.
A total of five people were found to be driving while under the influence of drugs.
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