MORE than 100 drivers have been arrested in one month in North Yorkshire, following a police drink drive campaign which coincided with the World Cup.
North Yorkshire Police say they will continue to tackle the “destructive scourge” of drink and drug driving as they reveal that 118 motorists were arrested between June 14 and July 14.
Officers have been carrying out roadside checks, carrying out traffic stops and targeting known offenders around the clock.
So far, ten drivers have been convicted at court and banned from the roads for a total of 22 years.
They have been fined a total of more than £6,500.
The longest ban so far is 48 months and the biggest individual fine was almost £3,500.
On average, those arrested blew twice the legal drink drive limit.
The number of arrests is up by 20 since last year.
Officers say the rise could be down to people going out to watch World Cup matches, the warm weather and effective enforcement tactics across North Yorkshire.
Roads Policing Inspector Dave Barf said: “The high number of arrests during our campaign shows how determined we are to take drink and drug drivers off our roads. It’s a destructive scourge that wrecks people’s lives, so I’m glad we’ve had such positive impact during our month-long campaign.
“I hope it’ll make people think twice. But unfortunately, drink and drug drivers tend only to think about themselves.
“I often wonder if they’d still do it if they saw what we saw – the absolute carnage of a crash scene; body parts on the carriageway; someone’s mum, dad or child lying rigid on a mortuary slab, and the heart-breaking reactions we see when we have to tell people a loved one has been killed.”
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