Thames Valley Police arrest 119 in first 15 days of summer anti-drink drive campaign

In the first fifteen days (from 1st June 2014 to 15th June 2014) of their summer anti-drink drive campaign Thames Valley Police have arrested 119 people on suspicion of drink-driving.

The campaign coincides with the World Cup kicking off and our joint campaign ‘Watch your game’ which runs throughout the duration of the tournament reminding people of the dangers of drink driving; both the morning after as well as the night before.

Of those 119 arrested. 100 were men (a decrease of 11% on last year) and 19 were women (a decrease of 24% on last year). The average age of those arrested was 37 years-old.

In total, 75 of the 119 arrested have been charged, 31 bailed and 13 released with no further action.

This year’s arrests show a 13% decrease on the 136 arrests made during the same period in 2013.

The campaign 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, 44 have been made in Berkshire, 43 in Buckinghamshire and 32 in Oxfordshire.

Superintendent Lucy Hutson, head of roads policing for Thames Valley and Hampshire said:

‘Is it worth the risk? The answer is simple, no it isn’t.

After just four pints of lager, you may not be safe to drive for up to 13 hours, so whether you are drinking in the afternoon at a summer barbeque, drinking while you watch a World Cup football game or going out for a few drinks in the evening, make sure you are safe to drive. Just because you haven’t had a drink for a few hours, it doesn’t mean all the alcohol has left your system and you can drive, you are still likely to be over the limit.

Extra patrols will be out over the next few months carrying out a number of breath tests. If you are caught drink driving you could face a criminal conviction, possible prison term, driving ban, and could even lose your job. Is it worth the risk?‘

Across the Thames Valley and Hampshire there were 223 during the first two weeks of June.

The Thames Valle Police ‘Is it worth the risk?’ campaign will be running on Twitter and Facebook to keep you updated follow Thames Valle Police @ThamesVP #IsItWorthTheRisk #WatchYourGame or find us on Facebook.

Further information can be found on the Thames Valley Police website.