Cambs Police Festive Drink/Drug Driving Campaign Underway

Driving while under the influence of alcohol or drugs not only ruins Christmas but can destroy lives forever, the force has warned at the start of a month-long drink and drug driving campaign. 

Irrespective of Covid-19 restrictions, officers will be enforcing the campaign while on patrol and by carrying out roadside checks due to the serious consequences of drink or drug driving. It does not matter if people go out or stay at home to celebrate, they may not realise they are still over the limit if they drive the next day.

Drinking or drug taking impairs reaction times and the ability to think clearly. As a result, motorists who drive are under the influence are more likely to be involved in a serious or fatal collision.

In Cambridgeshire, Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire last year, motorists were twice as likely to be involved in a serious or fatal collision if they had been drinking or taking drugs.

Claire Danks, 47, knows the devastating effects of drink driving all too well. Her 22-year-old daughter, Lauren Danks (pictured with her family on holiday in America), was killed on her way home from work in 2016 by drunk motorist Nelson Curtis who was driving at over 100mph on the A11 at Red Lodge, Suffolk. He was later jailed for seven years.

Mrs Danks, from Soham, is now an ambassador for the Road Victims Trust, a charity that supports victims of fatal and life-changing road collisions across the three counties.

She said: “Being told our daughter was dead was like dropping a bomb and blowing our lives into pieces. The pain is unimaginable and there is nothing that will fix it.

“We think about Lauren every day and have many wonderful memories. But there are so many more we won’t get to have.

"We won’t see her get married, she will never have children. We don’t even know what she would look like now.

“What happened that night haunts us every day. Please don’t be the cause of another family’s tragedy. Please don’t drink and drive.”

Last year, 2,244 motorists were caught drink or drug driving across Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire; the equivalent to one every four hours.

Sergeant James Thorne, from the BCH Roads Policing Unit, said: "No matter how you choose to celebrate Christmas this year, please do it safely and do not put lives and livelihoods at risk by drink or drug driving.

“It has been a hard year and we understand some people will want to make the most of the festivities. While 2020 has been different in so many ways, the law remains the same. If we catch you driving under the influence, we will prosecute you."