The Voice of Spalding and South Holland
If you are over the legal limit for drugs or alcohol then you are not welcome on Lincolnshire’s roads.
This is the message that the county’s police are driving home with today’s (Tues, Dec 1) launch of the Christmas drug and drink drive campaign.
Officers have traditionally had the use of the breathalyzer to test drivers for alcohol, but this year have an added weapon in their armoury.
The drug wipe, activated by saliva, will be used at the roadside by East Midlands Operational Support Service (EMOpSS) Officers across the region in Lincolnshire, Leicestershire, Northamptonshire and Nottinghamshire.
The new test can detect drugs in a driver’s system in as little as three minutes.
The consequences of being caught drug driving are the same as drink driving – a minimum of a 12-month ban, a criminal record, a fine and up to six months in prison.
Chief Insp Phil Vickers, keen to use publicity as a deterrent, is urging drug and drink drivers to think twice.
He said: “Officers across the East Midlands will be conducting enforcement activity from December 1 with the mission of catching unfit, unsafe drivers.
“You know if you have taken drugs – now we will know at the roadside.
“Drink or drug driving is never worth the risk to yourself and to other road users but you also face the very real risk of being caught.
“You might think you are OK and that you will get away with it – our message today is that you won’t.”
EMOpSS will be reinforcing the message throughout December through social media and are encouraging road users to support the campaign by liking and sharing these messages on Twitter and Facebook.
Public support is also being enlisted in reporting drink and drug drivers.
Those who drive over the limit are being asked “who’s watching you?”
If you suspect that someone is drug or drink driving call the Police on 101 (or 999 in an emergency).
Insp Vickers added: “For their own safety and the safety of other road users, a drink or drug driver is not something that you can ignore.
