Over 300 suspected drink and drug drivers nabbed in West Yorkshire’s holiday crackdown

More than 300 individuals suspected of driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs were apprehended by West Yorkshire Police during the Christmas and New Year period.

As part of the annual campaign that spanned from December 1 to January 1, a total of 334 people were arrested on suspicion of drink or drug driving. Among them, 229 faced allegations of drink driving, while 107 were apprehended for suspected drug driving. Additionally, 59 individuals were arrested for failing to provide a sample or specimen when stopped by officers.

The peak daily incidents of drink driving arrests occurred on New Year’s Day, with 21 individuals arrested, followed by Christmas Eve, where 16 arrests were made. Similarly, the highest daily total of drug driving arrests happened on New Year’s Eve, with nine individuals taken into custody.

Some of the campaign’s apprehended individuals have already faced legal consequences, including driving bans imposed before Christmas. Four individuals received driving bans ranging from 12 months to three years, accompanied by fines of up to £1,065. Furthermore, five drivers received interim driving bans pending pre-sentence reports, and another 50 drivers arrested in December are scheduled to appear in court in the next fortnight.

Chief Inspector James Farrar, Head of the Roads Policing Unit, said: “Our 2023 campaign focused on some of the excuses people use for either drink or drug driving.

“Our officers have carried out hundreds of breath tests and drug wipes and have certainly heard plenty of excuses over the Christmas and New Year period – but the fact of the matter is there is no excuse for drink or drug driving.

“Some of the people arrested have already been banned from driving while many more will be facing driving bans and large fines in the coming weeks. This can of course have an impact on their lives in other ways.

“To the people who made the responsible decision to make sure they had a designated driver, used public transport or took a taxi rather than get behind the wheel, I’d like to thank them for helping to make West Yorkshire’s roads safer.

“Our activities to keep the roads of West Yorkshire safe will continue throughout the new year. The West Yorkshire Police Roads Policing Unit works all year round to ensure that reckless and dangerous drivers are taken off our roads.”