There were 508 drink and drug driving arrests on Merseyside during Christmas

Operation Limit is the national policing response to the potential increase in road traffic collisions which could accompany festive celebrations. It runs from December 1 to January 1 every year.

The latest operation saw our force doing joint border work with Lancashire Police, releasing bodyworn video footage of drink driving arrests on our social media, creating stop check sites throughout the region, as well as incorporating drink and drug checks into regular vehicle stop checks.

In total, 508 people were arrested. This included 110 drivers who were arrested for alcohol related offences, while 360 were arrested for drug drive related offences. 38 were arrested for failure to comply.

Stuart McIver, Roads Policing Chief Inspector, said:

“Although I’m obviously pleased with the hard work of officers across the force to once again make sure that we’re been out there testing as many people as possible across December, I feel frustrated that, clearly, some people still aren’t getting the message.

“Driving under the influence – whether that’s drugs or alcohol – is absolutely not acceptable.

“We recognize that drug driving hasn’t had the same level of prominence in the public consciousness as drink driving has – our ability to test for it roadside is still relatively recent – but with these arrest figures we are saying it loud and clear: Merseyside is not a safe place to drug drive. We don’t just do these roadside checks in Operation Limit, we do them all year round.

“Nowhere, at any time of the year, is safe to drug or drink drive in Merseyside. We are always watching and always testing.”

Merseyside’s Police Commissioner Emily Spurrell said: “I welcome the robust response from our roads policing teams targeting drivers that insist on getting behind the wheel under the influence of drink or drugs, but these figures demonstrate that too many people are still risking the lives of other innocent road users as well as their own.

“It is illegal and totally unacceptable to drive under the influence. It destroys lives and the devastation for victims’ families lasts a lifetime.

“The vast majority of road users across Merseyside are responsible, but I want to appeal to everybody to make it their resolution to think carefully about their actions behind the wheel. Merseyside Police test for drink and drugs all year round, not just at Christmas, so please ask yourself, are you fit to drive?

“Safe Behaviour is a key theme in our Vision Zero strategy because we know genuine behaviour change is pivotal to reducing the number of people killed or seriously injured on our region’s roads.”