On Monday, June 2, 2014, the summer drink drive initiative goes live across Hampshire, the Isle of Wight and the Thames Valley region.
The emphasis on this year’s campaign is around ‘the morning after’.
Every year in June, Thames Valley Police and Hampshire Constabulary take part in the national anti-drink driving campaign. Throughout June, both forces will be conducting drink/drug operations at all times throughout the day and night across the Thames Valley, Hampshire and the Isle of Wight.
Every driver involved in a collision will also be breathalysed as a matter of course.
As well as aiming to reduce the number of people who are killed or injured as a result of drink driving, we would also like to remind motorists that receiving a conviction for drink or drug driving could ruin their lives.
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?”
During 2013, 59 people in Hampshire & IOW have been killed or seriously injured in road collisions where a person was impaired by alcohol.
Out of the total people killed or seriously injured on the roads in Hampshire & IOW in 2013 one in 17 involved a person impaired by alcohol (59 of 1,031).
A drink driving conviction is a criminal conviction. Here are some of the consequences of receiving a criminal conviction which many people have not thought about before and will hopefully make people think twice about drink driving this summer:
- Your car insurance could go up. Having a criminal record will make it extremely difficult to get any other kind of insurance
- To buy a mortgage you have to disclose any unspent convictions
- You may not be able to travel to America if you have a criminal conviction. Travelling to a country where you need a visa or a working permit can be very difficult with a criminal record
- Colleges and universities will have their own policies about misconduct and getting in trouble with the police could have a knock on effect with your education
- Lying to your employer on any kind of application which asks you to disclose any criminal convictions could be seen as fraud and lead to a further conviction
- Getting into trouble with the law could be seen as gross misconduct by your employer and you could lose your job
- Having a criminal record could make it very difficult for you to get another job
