Crimestoppers launches drug driving campaign in the North West as number of reports soar

Drug driving reports continue to rise year on year at an alarming rate and this corresponds to the significant rise in arrests for drug driving across police forces in the North West

The charity Crimestoppers has launched a new campaign to target those who get behind the wheel and drug drive.

For the twelve months April 2020 to April 2021, the charity received over 3,000 reports on drink and drug driving in the North West, and that total has already been exceeded in the last seven months.

Drug driving reports continue to rise year on year at an alarming rate and this corresponds with a significant rise in arrests for drug driving across police forces in the North West.

One in twenty fatalities on the roads nationally are caused by drug drivers.

The campaign seeks to increase anonymous reporting by the public of those who regularly drug drive so that they and be caught and banned from driving, which will make our roads safer for everyone.

Many victims of road traffic collisions are passengers in cars driven by those who are under the influence of drugs or who are in cars that are hit by impaired drug drivers. Community intelligence given to Crimestoppers is vital in keeping our roads safe and catching those who regularly drink and drug drive.

Gary Murray, regional manager for the charity Crimestoppers, said: “Whilst we are encouraged to see the rise in reports that we have received from the public, it highlights that drug driving is a major issue in the North West.

“Many innocent lives are being put at risk by a small number of people who choose to break the law.

“Drug drivers put other people’s lives at risk and your information could help prevent a potentially damaging or fatal collision from happening.

“Our campaigns seek to both discourage those who may be thinking of getting behind the wheel and ensure they consider the implications of their actions on themselves, their families, or the families of the potential victims. We are letting them know that people who take drugs and then drive are being reported, stopped, tested, and banned.

“Since we began in the late 1980s, we’ve always kept our promise that everyone who contacts us stays 100% anonymous. Always.

“If you have information, please use our anonymous online form at www.crimestoppers-uk.org or call our UK Contact Centre on 0800 555 111. Everyone has a part to play in making the North West’s roads safer.”