Police have carried out over 900 stops and made over 100 arrests for drink and drug driving since the start of Operation Limit on 1 December.
The festive season is now in full swing with many Christmas parties going on all over Greater Manchester and people winding down for the year.
The operation will continue until 1 January where we will have stop-check sites throughout Greater Manchester testing drivers on the roadside for drink and drug driving.
This operation forms part of Greater Manchester Combined Authority’s Vision Zero strategy that aims to eliminate road death and life-changing injury by 2040.
To date police have carried out over 900 roadside checks, performed 824 breath tests and made 69 arrests for drink driving and 55 arrests for drug driving.
The legal limit for alcohol in breath tests in the UK is 35 micrograms of alcohol per 100ml of breath. In one case, someone blew 168 on the roadside – almost 5x the legal limit.
These checks are being carried at all times of the day, including early mornings and late nights. Many people believe the morning after you may be fit to drive, but this is not always the case.
Inspector Bradley Ormesher, Safer Transport Team, said: “We want everybody to enjoy themselves this Christmas, and hopefully get some well-deserved rest over the festive period but this needs to be done safely and considerate of all who use our roads.
“We have officers out day and night testing for drink and drug driving at the roadside and will be focusing on this until the New Year.
“Alcohol, and some drugs, stay in your system longer than people think. You may feel fine to drive but you still could be over the limit and be putting yourself and others at risk.
“Everybody deserves to be able to use our roads safely, don’t take the risk of driving under the influence and challenge anyone willing to take that risk.”
We urge all drivers to make responsible choices this festive season. We have a zero-tolerance approach to this issue. Together, we can make Greater Manchester’s roads safer for everyone.
