Drink-drive arrests hit five a day in lead-up to Christmas

AN average of five drink-driving arrests a day were made by West Yorkshire Police in the first week of December.

The force made 74 arrests during the first eight days of its annual winter drink-and-drug-drive campaign.

Of those 74 arrests: 35 were for drug-driving, 34 were for drink-driving and five were for failing to provide a specimen.

All pubs in Tier 3 the strictest tier of coronavirus restrictions - have been closed all month. The figures for West Yorkshire indicate that coronavirus laws have curbed, but failed to stop, drink-driving in the first eight days of December, which is traditionally the worst month for drink-driving as people start their Christmas festivities early.

By comparison, there were 90 arrests made on suspicion of drink and drug driving offences during the first week of December 2019.

Of those 90, considerably more arrests (52) were made on suspicion of drink driving while 32 were made for drug driving and six for failing to provide a specimen. All offences carry mandatory driving bans.December, 74 West Yorkshire Police’s Roads Policing Unit tweeted: “In the eight days of arrests for drink and drug driving offences. Seventy. Four.

“(West Yorkshire Police) doing a commendable job in countering the threat, but there are wider responsibilities here. #DitchYourCarKeys. Don’t gamble with your future – we are testing drivers every day.”

Arrests made during first eight days of annual drink-drive

campaign