More than 150 arrests and 1,500 roadside tests in drink and drug drive operation

We have arrested 154 people and carried out more than 1,500 roadside tests as part of intensified efforts to prevent deaths and serious injuries caused by drink and drug driving in Staffordshire.

On 1 December we launched a month-long intensification campaign called Operation Limit.

Forces across the UK have been supporting the initiative since 2022 after statistics revealed that 467 collisions were caused by drink or drug driving in December that year. A total of 422 collisions were caused by drink or driving the following year (2023).

Officers from our road crime team (RCT) have supported the wider force in carrying out enforcement action across the county, resulting in:

• A total of 1,544 roadside drink and drug driving tests being carried out
• 78 people being arrested for providing a positive roadside breath test
• 53 motorists being arrested on suspicion of drug driving offences
• 10 people being arrested for failing to provide a roadside breath test
• And 13 others being arrested for being drunk in charge of a vehicle
  
  

In 2023, 45 people sadly lost their lives on roads across Staffordshire. Many of these deaths could have been avoided.

This is why our road crime team officers are committed to working proactively to enforce and promote road safety. They also target those who use the county’s roads for criminality, including the distribution of drugs and exploiting the vulnerable.

Since the team's launch on 1 October, officers have arrested 211 people suspected of driving offences and seized more than 450 vehicles and criminal assets worth in excess of £1.7 million.

Chief Inspector Scott McGrath, head of the RCT, said: “Through Operation Limit our officers have been working hard each and every day to take proactive action against those putting other people at risk on our roads.

“Collisions caused by drug or drink driving are horrific events that can devastate families.

“Those who get behind the wheel under the influence and cause serious injury or death will struggle to find any justification for their actions when they come face to face with a victim’s loved ones, or their own family members, at court.

“An operation isn’t just for Christmas, though. Our efforts to make sure people are safe behind the wheel in Staffordshire continue 24/7, 365 days a year.”