Drink-drive arrests are beginning to level out against last year’s figures 24 days into Op Solar, Hampshire Constabulary’s drink-drive campaign.
Just one more person has been arrested between June 1 and June 24, 2012 compared to the same period a year ago – an increase of just 1 per cent.
This brings this summer’s arrests up to 149 so far compared to 2011’s 148.
Superintendant Chris Brown, head of roads policing for Hampshire Constabulary and Thames Valley Police, said: “149 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 has 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 legal drink-drive limit is 80mg of alcohol in 100ml of blood, 35ug of alcohol in 100ml of breath or 107mg of alcohol in 100ml of urine.
A drink-driving offence remains on your licence for 11 years.
Refusing to provide a specimen of breath, blood or urine? You face 6 months prison, £5,000 fine and driving ban
Causing death by drink-driving carries a maximum penalty of 14 years in prison and a minimum 2 year ban
Being drunk in charge of a vehicle could result in 3 months’ imprisonment, a fine of up to £2,500 and a driving ban.
Drink-drivers can face a 12-month ban, up to £5,000 in fines, a criminal record and up to six years in prison.
The force’s Western and Eastern Area accounted for the most arrests with 54 each [36 per cent] with 31 in Southampton, 16 in the Eastleigh and Romsey area and seven in the New Forest, 15 on the Isle of Wight, 15 in Portsmouth, 14 in Havant and 10 in Fareham and Gosport.
In the Northern Area, where 28 per cent of overall arrests were made, 11 were made in the Hart and Rushmoor area, 12 in Basingstoke and Deane, 13 in the Winchester and East Hampshire area and five in Andover – a total of 41.
Of those arrested 112 have been charged [75 per cent], 19 released with no further action [13 per cent] and 18 bailed pending further enquiries [12 per cent].
Officers arrested 126 men [85 per cent] and 23 women [15 per cent] with the oldest person arrested so far being a 71-year-old man and the youngest an 18-year-old male. The average age of those arrested was 35.
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