Festive road safety campaign
A total of 22 drivers have been arrested during the past week (21- 28 December) for drink driving offences throughout Tayside. Ten of those arrests were made following calls from concerned members of the public.
This is an increase from the corresponding week during last year's festive drink drive campaign when 14 drivers were arrested. This brings the three week total to 45 drivers arrested for drink drive offences and three arrested for drug driving offences. During the same period last year, 50 had been arrested for drink driving and three had been arrested for drug driving throughout Tayside.
The figures for the past week include 17 men and five women, of whom 10 were 25 years of age or under.
In Dundee, a 27-year-old man was arrested for drink driving after colliding with five vehicles and was nearly four times the limit.
Following a call from the public a 57-year-old man was arrested while carrying out deliveries on behalf of his employer and was found to be more than three times the limit and an 18-year-old woman was arrested after being reported by an off duty police officer following a collision. She was found to be more than twice the limit.
In Arbroath, a 21-year-old man was arrested after being involved in a collision while driving a lorry he had removed without permission. He was charged with a number of driving offences including a drink drive offence.
Also in Angus, a 16-year-old male was arrested in Montrose for drink driving after a car was reported as having been taken and driven away. He has also been reported for a range of driving offences.
In Perth, a 43-year-old woman involved in a collision while travelling to her place of work early in the morning, was found to be twice the limit.
In the last week Tayside Police officers attended 65 non-injury and 10 injury collisions.
Chief Inspector Sandy Bowman, Head of Road Policing, said,
"Once again the public have been instrumental in helping get a number of drink drivers off the road. This level of public support is tremendous and the number of persons detected following calls from concerned members of the public shows the level of support there is in tackling this problem.
"Though the overall number of drivers arrested for drink driving this year is down compared to the first three weeks of last years campaign, there has been an increase in arrests during the past week. This is a clear indication that the fight to rid our roads of drunk drivers goes on.
"Quite clearly there remains a hard core of people out there who think they know better and continue to take the risk and get into their vehicles after drinking. We do not tolerate this nor do the greater public."
He added: "I've stressed this many times, but drivers must consider the consequences of arrest. You're not going to get a 'slap on the wrist'. You will lose your licence. You may lose your job. How are you going to pay bills and look after your family, then? Make sure that in 2008 this doesn't happen to you. It really is not worth the risk."
During the second week of the campaign (14-21 December), 27 motorists were reported for speeding, 17 for mobile phone offences and 15 for failing to wear a seat belt.
Any member of the public who wishes to report a drink or drug driver should call Tayside Police directly or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
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Weather for Brechin
Wednesday 08 February 2012
Today
Sunny spells
Temperature: 1 C to 2 C
Wind Speed: 25 mph
Wind direction: South
Tomorrow
Light rain
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