We’re joining a national two-week campaign to put the brakes on drink and drug driving

It’s never worth it; don’t get behind the wheel under the influence of drink or drugs.

Officers from across Gwent are taking part in a national road safety campaign targeting those who drive under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs.

The campaign aims to raise awareness of the dangers of driving while under the influence, targeting those who choose to put other road users at risk by committing this offence.

Throughout the two-week campaign, officers will be carrying out increased patrols on our roads and will be stopping those who they believe to be driving under the influence.

Between August 2022 and July 2023, our officers attended 21 fatal road traffic collisions in Gwent and stopped more than 2,000 motorists on suspicion of driving while under the influence of alcohol or drugs – more than 500 of these people tested positive for alcohol and/or drugs at the roadside.

Roads Policing and Specialist Operations (RPSO) Inspector Shane Underwood said:

“We’re continuing to take a strong stance against those who choose to put others at risk by driving while under the influence of drink and/or drugs.

“Our roads policing officers work with emergency service partners all year round to reiterate one simple message: do not risk your life and the lives of others by driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs.

“It’s one of the biggest causes of death on our roads and these campaigns are important in making our roads safer and raising awareness around the consequences of driving under the influence.

“Nobody wants to be the cause of a major collision, let alone be the reason a family is told that they've lost a loved one.

“If you’re unfit to drive, make sure that you make alternative travel arrangements, for example, phone a taxi – and make sure that your family and friends do too.”

Keep your eyes peeled for the advice, guidance and updates from our officers shared on our social media throughout this campaign.

Know the limits

Driving under the influence of drink or drugs is extremely dangerous and can seriously affect your reaction times and judgement.

The legal alcohol limit in England and Wales for driving is 80 milligrams of alcohol per 100 millilitres of blood (or 35 micrograms of alcohol per 100 millilitres of breath), while it's also an offence to drive with any of 17 controlled drugs above a specified level in your blood. This includes illegal and legally prescribed drugs.

The biggest risk you take when driving under the influence is the risk of causing a collision; it can affect your driving in numerous ways, such as:

• reaction and coordination skills
• blurry or impaired vision
• drowsiness
• aggression
• erratic behaviour.

Police act against drink and drug-drivers every day of the year.

If you’re concerned about someone driving under the influence, you can report it by calling 101, messaging us on Facebook or Twitter, or using our online reporting system.

In an emergency, always dial 999.

For information and advice on drink and drug driving, click here.