26/06/12……Summer drink-driving warning after arrests

THAMES Valley Police fear that the message about the dangers of drug and drink driving is not getting through, following the arrest of 180 drivers since the beginning of a summer drink-drive campaign.

This year?s campaign arrests however, show a 16 per cent decrease on the 216 arrests made during the same period in 2011.

Of those arrested, 142 were men [78 per cent] and 40 were women [22 per cent]. In total, 104 of the 182 arrested have been charged, with 42 bailed and 36 released with no further action.

Superintendent Chris Brown, Head of Roads Policing for Hampshire Constabulary and Thames Valley Police, said: ?182 people arrested for drink driving shows the large number of people still willing to put themselves before everyone else’s safety.

?People still aren?t getting the message and yet we know drinking while over the limit is causing fatal collisions. We know that any amount of alcohol affects your ability to drive and we know that if you?re caught drink-driving you will be banned from driving.

?We’ll continue to target drink drivers hard and get them before the courts whenever we can.?

The campaign, which runs until the end of June, will see police targeting individuals they suspect of driving under the influence of drink or drugs, both on the way home from nights out and the morning after a heavy night.

Of the arrests, 72 have been made in Berkshire, 59 in Buckinghamshire and 51 in Oxfordshire.