Drink drive campaign success

Encouraging results have been released by Safer Neighbourhood Teams across East Dorset who joined up with traffic officers to prevent people from drink driving over Christmas.

The initiative, which involved Police Community Support Officers and Police Constables from the eleven East Dorset Safer Neighbourhood Teams, ran from 15-31 December 2008 and proactively targeted hotspots in rural areas in and around the market towns of Verwood, Ferndown and Wimborne.

During this period, 137 drivers were stopped and breath tests were carried out. Seven were positive and fifteen fixed penalty notices were issued for other offences which included notices for failure to wear a seatbelt, using a mobile phone whilst driving, poor tyre condition and speeding.

In December 2007, 65 drivers were stopped in East Dorset and provided a negative breath test result – a further 11 drivers tested positive.
Section commander for East Dorset, Inspector Mike Darkin, said: “I am very pleased with the results of this campaign, as my team doubled the number of breath tests completed from the preceding year, yet the number of arrests has decreased by 35 per cent.

“SNTs handed out leaflets about drink driving at licensed premises and were then joined by traffic officers, who enforced the message by carrying out stop checks and breath tests on drivers in the area.

“I believe that this campaign has had the effect on local people that was necessary - don’t drink and drive in East Dorset.”