Drink driving New initiative urges the public to tip off police
MEMBERS of the public are being asked to tell the police if they know someone who regularly drives after drinking alcohol or taking drugs.
In a new measure introduced for the first time people are being urged to report information about habitual drink drivers via a special online form on the constabulary’s website.
They include the person’s full name, their nicknames, distinguishable features such as their age, hair, tattoos or piercings and, if known, the details of their car registration, mobile phone number, social media accounts.
The form does not ask for the name of the person making the report but does ask if they can be contacted in the event of the police wanting to ask them more questions.
It is the latest idea introduced by the police and was revealed when they launched their annual Christmas campaign against drink and drug driving.
A high-profile event was held in High Street, Cheltenham, with police cars, a fire engine and a mobile police unit being set up close to the entrance to the Regent Arcade.
Drivers in the county are being encouraged to ‘choose zero’ when they are out on the town during the festive season, opting for drinks with no units of alcohol to ensure they stay safe and legal on the roads.
The campaign, which will run for the whole of December, is being coordinated by Gloucestershire Constabulary with Gloucestershire Fire and Rescue Service, Gloucestershire County Council and the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner.
Its message is that not drinking any alcohol before driving is the only safe option.
The fire service will be delivering a number of talks about safe and social driving throughout the month and posters will be placed in pubs and clubs to reinforce the message.
Special constable Dan Kershaw said he had seen at first hand the consequence of drink-driving.
In the summer, he attended an incident in which a man who was over the drink-drive limit lost control of his vehicle of the A38 at Seven Springs, near Cheltenham.
SC Kershaw said the man, who had a passenger with him in the car, failed to deal with a road surface left slippery after having been resurfaced.
He said the man’s car hit another vehicle and a tree, rolled over twice before landing upside down.
Luckily, nobody was seriously hurt in the incident, which led to the man being arrested.
SC Kershaw said: “He was a youngish man. Had he been sober, we think he would probably have realised what the conditions of the road he was on and driven more appropriately.”
Superintendent Bridget Woodhall said: “Even if you think you are under the limit, you won’t know if you are and alcohol affects everyone differently so the safest thing to do is choose zero.
“The consequences, as we have unfortunately seen too often, can be devastating.
“The campaign will seek to reinforce that message by educating drivers on the dangers of drink driving and the penalties, which could include up to six months in prison and a 12-month driving ban.”
Police and Crime Commissioner Martin Surl said: “We want everyone to have a good holiday period and be able to enjoy themselves, but it’s important to do it safely.
“My expectation is that the police will enforce the law. “Choosing not to drive if you’re over the alcohol limit not only aligns with my Safe and Social Driving priority of the Police and Crime Plan, but more importantly means people will get to spend the time with their loved ones and not with the emergency services.” Councillor Dave Norman (C, Grange and Kingsway), the county council’s lead cabinet member for public protection, said: “If you’re drinking, don’t drive as any amount of alcohol will impair your ability to drive safely, and don’t forget the morning after the night before because alcohol can take a long time to leave your system.” robin.jenkins@reachplc.com