PT supports police crackdown on drink and drug driving

Guilty motorists named in campaign to curb danger of drivers under the influence

Every drink and drug driver sentenced in Peterborough this month as police warn not to spend Christmas behind bars

The Peterborough Telegraph is naming every drink and drug driver who has been sentenced at Peterborough Magistrates’ Court this month as part of a Christmas campaign.

Police have launched a crackdown on drink and drug drivers this December which the PT is supporting.

The paper is currently campaigning for drivers who cause fatal collisions while over the limit to receive tougher punishments after several life-ending crashes in the city.

The campaign began after Tommy Whitmore was jailed for eight years and four months after killing three people in a crash on the Frank Perkins Parkway in April.

Whitmore was twice the drink drive limit and had also been taking cannabis when he drove the wrong way down the parkway, colliding with the car carrying Marko Makula (22) and passengers Jana Kockova (21) and Tomos Kocko (19).

Marko and his fiancée Jana were parents to two young children who were left orphaned by the crash. Tomos was Jana’s younger brother.

Following the sentencing hearing, Marko’s brother Mario described the sentence as ‘insulting’.

The PT’s campaign has also been backed by Ann Howard. Ann’s brother Michael was killed when the motorcycle he was riding was struck by the stolen car driven by Neville Smith. Smith – who was jailed for just six years and four months – was high on drugs at the time of the crash.

Currently, the maximum sentence a driver can receive is 14 years. However, in 2017, the Government outlined plans to increase that maximum, to include life sentences. The plans have not yet been implemented.

This month, officers across the Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire Road Policing Unit (RPU) are conducting additional stopchecks to combat drink and drug drivers.

Between October 2018 and September this year, 239 people were arrested in Cambridgeshire

and Peterborough on suspicion of drug driving and 649 people were arrested on suspicion of drink driving.

This included 79 suspected drink drivers and 31 suspected drug drivers during December – the month of last year’s campaign.

Chief Inspector Jon Roche, head of roads policing for Cambridgeshire, Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire, said: “We want people to remember Christmas for all the right reasons. It should be a happy time but driving under the influence of drink or drugs can change that in a heartbeat.

“Our campaign is not about spoiling peoples’ fun. It is about ensuring they don’t do something that jeopardises it. Drink and drug driving can bring financial hardship, pain and loneliness which is a far cry from Christmas festivities we all want to enjoy.

“If you are going out this Christmas please plan ahead and make sure you get home safely. Book a taxi or agree a designated sober driver within your group. It is also important to ensure you are not over the limit the next day as this can still impair your ability to drive.”

Officers are urging members of the public to report drink or drug driving via the dedicated, confidential hotline on 0800 032 0845 which is available 24/7

Police are warning drivers aboutthe dangers of drink driving