Free soft drinks for 'Lift Legends'.
Dorset Police launch their 2021 Christmas drink drive campaign ‘Lift Legends’ this week.
With Dorset Police launching their Christmas drink drive campaign ‘Lift Legends’ this week, I wanted to dedicate my blog to how I will be tacking the issue of road safety during my tenure as Police and Crime Commissioner and to talk a little about keeping safe on our roads this Winter.
Making Dorset’s Roads safer and reducing serious and fatal incidents is a feature of my Police and Crime Plan. I will continue to ensure Dorset’s various road safety teams have the resources it needs to keep Dorset’s roads safe and work with them to develop more targeted road safety campaigns.
During 2022, I will be seeking out ways to support the recruitment of more police volunteers so that the Community Speed Watch scheme can be expanded across the county, particularly in more rural areas and I remain committed to lobbying for tougher convictions for offending motorists so that the punishment reflects the seriousness of their actions.
As new and emerging road safety issues present themselves, for example, the use of e-Scooters, I will ensure they are dealt with robustly and appropriately through progressive partnership working to make Dorset’s roads even safer.
Last Saturday I was delighted to attend the innovative and interactive Dorset Road Safety event in the Dolphin Centre, Poole. Similar events are being planned for 2022 so keep your eye out for more details next year.
Along with many others, I was fascinated to learn more about the hard work Dorset’s road policing and road safety teams are doing along with partners, to educate and upskill drivers. The event was impressively creative, interactive with ‘have-a-go’ experiences which started a lot of informative conversations. I would like to thank all the police officers, staff, volunteers, partner agencies and cadets for their outstanding contribution to this hugely informative and well organised event.
As your Police and Crime Commissioner I want you to know, I believe road safety is an important focus area for the Force as there continues to be too many road deaths and serious injuries on our roads.
Drink and drug driving is one of the ‘fatal five’ main causes of road traffic collisions which can result in injuries or fatalities. These five factors, which also includes: excessive speed, poor decision making, not wearing a seatbelt and using a mobile phone while driving, are all included in future education and enforcement activities being delivered to make Dorset’s roads safer.
Sadly, despite reductions achieved over the years, drink and drug driving still accounts for 15% of road deaths and leaves the lives of almost 10,000 casualties permanently changed or wrecked for life so, I ask you to take a moment to find out more about Dorset’s Christmas ‘Lift Legend’ Drink Drive campaign and simply nominate your ‘Lift Legend’ to take advantage of the free soft drink offer at an increasing number of Dorset’s pubs, clubs and restaurants.
For those that choose to ignore police advice and put innocent lives at risk, officers will be out in force rigorously targeting and pursuing those who are putting others in danger on our roads, day or night.
Last year during the Christmas campaign, officers in Dorset carried out 475 breath tests and charged 46 people with a drink drive related offence.
This December all drivers stopped in Dorset for a road traffic offence, will be required to take a breath test, whether -or-not, they’re suspected of a drink driving offence.
Having said all that, I recognise that we all feel the need to get together and celebrate over the coming weeks, so please do have fun and remember to take that extra moment to make sure, however you celebrate, you stay safe and get home safely.
David Sidwick, Police and Crime Commissioner