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Driving whilst under the influence of drugs and alcohol will be put under the spotlight in the latest accountability meeting to be hosted by County Durham and Darlington Police and Crime Commissioner, Joy Allen.
The meeting will be held on Thursday 17th November and will see the Commissioner examining the progress being made against her Police and Crime Plan priority to make roads safer and reduce the incidents of one of the ‘fatal four’ areas of highest harm on our roads, drink and drug driving.
This comes as figures from the Force indicate County Durham saw one of the highest proportions of total injuries related to drunk driving across the North East, with 8% of all reported injuries in 2021/22 resulting from a collision that involved a suspected drink driver.
These levels have also been reflected this year with 297 drink and drug drivers being arrested between May and October 2022.
Members of the public are invited to submit questions ahead of Commissioner Allen’s meeting to put any concerns they have about the issue, and any other road safety campaign, to the Chief Constable and senior leadership team.
Commissioner Allen said “The issue of drink and drug driving is a huge concern across County Durham and Darlington. It is especially prevalent in the lead up to Christmas when we typically see increases in drink and drug driving incidences.
“Improving road safety across County Durham and Darlington is amongst my top priorities as Police and Crime Commissioner. We know that the total number of breath tests carried out by the Force has increased by 66% from 2020/21 to 2021/22. This is a huge step in the right direction for ensuring we crack down on these offences and ensure that these people are not a danger to themselves or other road users.
“I would urge anybody who has concerns about this issue and any other road safety concern, to submit any questions prior to the meeting so they can be raised and answered at the highest level.
“My accountability meetings provide local people with a platform for airing their concerns and help me to identify any areas of improvement needed to guarantee the safety of our road users.”
Public accountability meetings enable the PCC to hold the Chief Constable and Durham Constabulary to account for policing and were developed by Commissioner Allen as part of her commitment to delivering transparency and openness on behalf of the public.
Previous meetings have focused on violence against retail workers, off road bikes, violence against women and girls, alcohol-related anti-social behaviour and plans for a centralised custody facility. Recordings of meetings are available via YouTube.
To submit a question, please email: general.enquiriespcc@durham-pcc.gov.uk before 4pm on Tuesday 8th November 2022.
The meeting will be available to view on YouTube post session: https://www.youtube.com/user/DurhamPCC
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