Police in North Yorkshire who have launched their annual drink and drug driving campaign say they've already arrested 50 people having only reached the halfway point.

Having only launched their campaign on the 1st December, North Yorkshire Police say they've arrested 50 people for drink or drug driving offences in just the first fifteen days.

On Tuesday 13 December 2022 police received a call from a member of the public who was reporting a driver who had been drinking in Northallerton. On arrival officers carried out a breath test on the driver who provided a reading which was around four times over the legal alcohol limit.

A 46-year-old woman was also arrested on suspicion of driving when above the alcohol limit. At the police station, the woman failed to provide an evidential reading. She was charged with failing to provide a specimen for analysis.

Read more: The truth on police checking for drink drivers at Christmas

Last week police stopped a vehicle in Norton near Malton which was uninsured and not displaying tax. A roadside breath test conducted on the driver produced a reading of 124. A 52-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of driving when above the alcohol limit and driving with no insurance. At the police station he provided a reading of 98 micrograms of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath.

In the UK, the legal driving limit is 35mg of alcohol per 100ml.

He was charged with driving a motor vehicle when above the alcohol limit and driving with no insurance. He was also reported the offence of displaying no tax.

Superintendent Emma Aldred, head of Specialist Operations at North Yorkshire Police commented on the latest set of results: “It’s alarming to see that we have arrested 50 people in just over two weeks for drink or drug driving in North Yorkshire.

“I would like to thank members of the public who are responding to our campaign and providing us with information about people who are driving after consuming drink or drugs.   

“The message is clear; we will not tolerate drink and drug drivers on North Yorkshire’s roads”.

Police in North Yorkshire have been patrolling the county in both marked and unmarked cars since the beginning of the campaign, and a specialist operation was also set up on the A66 corridor in co-ordination with officers from Cumbria Police, Durham Police and the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DBSA) to target commercial drivers who had used drink or drugs. A number of motoring offences were recorded but all drivers were negative for drink or drugs.

Officers continue to administer breath tests for alcohol in the morning as part of the campaign as the effects of can be felt for many hours afterwards.

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The focus of this year's campaign is on people calling out bad behaviour. Members of the public are being asked to “save a life and call it in.” If you suspect that a driver is behind the wheel when under the influence of drink or drugs, please call 999.