ACPO lead on roads policing Chief Constable Mick Giannasi said:
“Drink and drug driving is a significant factor in the unnecessary death of many hundreds of people a year, while thousands more suffer serious injury. This review contains some key recommendations that will be well received by frontline roads policing officers and help police tackle this problem more effectively.
“The report is comprehensive and ACPO will take time to consider its detail. However we believe proposals for a reduction in the drink drive limit would, if accepted, save lives and be consistent with the majority of our European neighbours.
“We welcome the removal of the statutory option for drivers caught with a breath alcohol reading of between 40 and 50 mcg of alcohol per 100 mls of breath to give a blood sample. This has always been open to exploitation and will free frontline police officers from an unnecessary procedure which takes them away from policing the streets.
“In our submission to the review we noted the importance of tackling drug driving in improving road safety. The recommendation for custody nurses to be trained to identify whether drugs may have been taken by a driver and to take blood samples will help get to grips with this issue and will underpin greater consistency in the use of Field Impairment Testing for drugs amongst police forces.
“We urge the Government to give serious consideration to these recommendations and look forward to their response to this review.”
ENDS
Notes for Editors
•The ACPO Press Office can be contacted via 020 7084 8946/47/48 (office hours) or via 07803 903686 (out of office hours).
•The Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) is an independent, professionally led strategic body. In the public interest and, in equal and active partnership with Government and the Association of Police Authorities, ACPO leads and co-ordinates the direction and development of the police service in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. In times of national need ACPO, on behalf of all chief officers, coordinates the strategic policing response.
•ACPO’s 356 members consist of 261 Chief Police Officers from the Home forces of Assistant Chief Constable rank (Commanders in the Metropolitan Police and City of London Police) and above, plus 74 Senior Police Staff members from the 44 forces in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Non Home forces such as British Transport Police and States of Jersey Police have 16 Chief Police Officer members.
