Revealed: Harrogate has highest number of arrested drink and drug drivers

Police have revealed Harrogate as the area with the highest number of arrests during a month-long drink and drug driving crackdown.
..
.

A total of 137 drivers have been arrested across the county by North Yorkshire Police during their Christmas campaign, Operation Attention, which ran from December 1, 2017, to Monday January 1, 2018.

Harrogate saw 29 of those arrests made, making it the area with the highest number of drink and drug drivers stopped by police this year.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

In 2016, 137 drivers were also arrested across North Yorkshire - an increase of 13 on the operation run in 2015.

In this latest campaign 117 of those arrested were men and 20 were women with 83 arrests made for drink driving and 54 for drug driving.

A third of all arrests made were made following a road traffic incident and 11 per cent of all those arrested were in excess of two and a half times the legal limit.

The highest breathalyser reading of the campaign was 141 micrograms of alcohol per 100 millilitres of breath, provided by a 41-year-old woman arrested in the Thirsk area on December 11.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Sergeant Andy Morton of NYP's Roads Policing Group said: “The dangers of drink and drug driving are widely known and across the Christmas period we issue numerous warnings and deterrent messages to drivers, to both highlight the dangers of driving over the limit and make them well aware that police are patrolling the roads.

“That’s why it is both shocking and astounding to see that some still choose to ignore the warnings and not only risk arrest and prosecution, but the physical safety of themselves and other road users.

“However, the arrests figures released today demonstrate that officers remain vigilant and fully committed to identifying these drivers and getting them off the roads.

"Although the Christmas campaign has drawn to a close, our determination to ensure that the roads remain safe for the public of North Yorkshire remains resolute and we will persist in targeting drink and drug drivers throughout the year.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

"We also continue to work alongside our partners at the 95 Alive Road Safety Partnership in the educational and preventative work they deliver.

“I’d also like to take this opportunity to thank the members of the public who picked up the phone and reported drink and drug drivers to us. Your actions assisted police in tracking these drivers down and arresting them and ultimately, lives being saved.”