Road crime team intensifying efforts to stop drink and drug drivers in crackdown operation

More drink and drug drivers in Staffordshire can expect to face the full force of the law as our efforts intensify to crack down on offences on our roads.

From today (Sunday 1 December), a month-long intensification effort has been launched to target those responsible as proactively as possible under Operation Limit. Forces across the UK have been carrying out the enforcement since 2022 following statistics that revealed 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 new road crime team (RCT) have been working hard each and every day to take proactive action against those putting other people at risk on our roads.

Since they launched in 1 October, the RCT have arrested 125 people suspected of driving offences, seized 276 vehicles, carried out 424 drug and drink driving tests and seized £1.1million-worth of criminal assets.

Throughout December, they’ll be further focusing their attention on those committing two of the fatal four factors across Staffordshire, along with their usual day-to-day operations.

Chief Inspector Scott McGrath, head of the RCT, said: “Those committing any of the fatal four offences on our roads are being relentlessly targeted by our team. We’re dedicated to taking decisive action against those responsible and working as hard as we can to make sure people are safe behind the wheel in Staffordshire.

“Last year, 45 people tragically lost their lives in collisions across the county. One person’s life is far too many, and most of these collisions are either caused by drink or drug driving, using a phone while driving, not wearing a seatbelt and speeding. They’re avoidable and we’re working proactively to make sure we can do everything possible to stop them.

“We’re going to be carrying out high profile enforcement activity using a range of tactics and resources over the next month to stop those responsible.

“Serious injury or deaths caused by collisions are horrific events that can devastate families forever. Drink and drug drivers could be the reason families have one less person at the table on Christmas Day, and we want to prevent that.

Just last week, RCT pulled over the driver of a HGV following concerns over his driving. He blew 103 at the roadside, nearly three times the legal limit, and was taken to custody.

Recently, the RCT worked alongside National Highways to issue 63 Traffic Offence Reports (TORs) for issues including excess speed, driving without due care and attention, and having no insurance. Officers also dealt with 35 drivers for using mobile phones, detected 28 seatbelt offences, seized three vehicles, and stopped 78 vehicles.