More than 300 arrests were made for suspected drink driving offences in the Christmas enforcement campaign run by Kent Police. The force said that a total of 316 people were arrested for driving under the influence of drink or drugs during the month.
Kent Police supported a national initiative between December 1, 2024 and January 1, 2025 aimed at raising awareness of the dangers of getting behind the wheel when unfit to do so.
Examples of arrests made over the Christmas and New Year period include:
• At around 12.40am on Sunday, December 22, officers came across a car that had collided with railings off North Dane Way, Chatham. The driver, aged 43 from Gillingham, was arrested on suspicion of drink driving and later bailed pending further enquiries.
• Officers attended Headcorn High Street at around 12.40pm on New Year’s Eve following a report that a car had collided with several parked vehicles in a supermarket car park, and that the driver was drunk and had left the scene to buy more alcohol. The suspect, aged 47 from West Yorkshire, was located and arrested after failing a roadside breath test. He has since been released on bail pending further enquiries.
• At around 10.35pm on New Year’s Day officers stopped a car that was seen swerving on the A2 near Gravesend. The driver failed a roadside drug test and was also found to be in possession of cannabis. He was arrested and later bailed pending further enquiries.
Driving under the influence of drink or drugs is one of the ‘fatal factors’ that put vehicle owners most at risk along with speeding, being distracted at the wheel (e.g. by a mobile phone) and not wearing a seatbelt.
Chief Inspector Craig West of Kent Police said: “Throughout the course of this enforcement campaign my officers arrested motorists for a variety of different reasons. Some were surprised at being over the limit, others were still drunk from the night before and there were also those who could barely stand and were quite clearly in no fit state to control a motor vehicle.
“The one thing they all had in common was that they should not have been driving and by doing so they were putting themselves and other road users in danger. Whilst this was only a month-long initiative to raise awareness in the run-up to Christmas, tackling drink and drug driving is a year-round commitment for Kent Police.
“My officers are on patrol across the county every day and do not hesitate to stop any vehicles they consider to be being driven in an unsafe manner. Our message is simple.
“If you are planning to drive then please do not drink alcohol or take drugs before you do, as you risk being arrested or causing a serious collision with tragic consequences.”