Over 200 vehicles checked for drink and drug driving in Coventry

This month our specialist traffic teams have been out completing Op Limit operations across the West Midlands. Op Limit focuses on improving road safety and reducing drink or drug driving. 

Traffic officers were joined by Coventry neighbourhood officers on Holyhead Road to check for drink or drug driving. Over 200 vehicles were stopped and spoken to by officers on the ground about the dangers of drink driving. 

During the random stop checks, no drivers tested positive for drink driving  but four vehicles were seized for having no insurance.

The legal alcohol limit in England, Wales and Northern Ireland for driving is 80 milligrams of alcohol per 100 millilitres of blood or 35 micrograms of alcohol per 100 millilitres of breath.

There is no way to know how much you can drink and stay under the limit, since it can depend on your weight, age, metabolism, the amount of food you've eaten and other factors.

If you've been out drinking, you may still be affected by alcohol the next day and could lose your licence if you drive and are still over the legal limit.

The biggest risk you take when driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs is the risk of causing a collision.

The police can stop you at any time and ask you to take a breath test (‘breathalyse’ you) if:

• they think you’ve been drinking
• you’ve committed a traffic offence
• you’ve been involved in a road traffic collision

If you refuse to take a breath test or fail to supply a sample of breath and don't have a ‘reasonable excuse’, you can be arrested. A reasonable excuse could be a genuine physical or mental condition stopping you from giving a sample; in this case you may be required to have a blood test.

The breath test gives a result straight away. If it shows you’re not over the drink drive limit, you may be allowed to go.

If you fail the breath test, you’ll be taken to a police station and given a final breath test. If it’s positive, you'll be charged.

Officers can test for cannabis and cocaine at the roadside, and screen for other drugs – including ecstasy, LSD, ketamine and heroin – at a police station.

If you're found to be over the drink-drive limit, and/or driving while impaired by drugs, you can receive:

• a criminal record
• a maximum penalty of six months in prison
• an unlimited fine
• an automatic driving ban of at least one year (three years if you have been convicted twice in 10 years)

If you know someone has been drinking, or taking drugs, and is planning to get behind the wheel, intervene if it is safe to do so. Offer to book them a taxi home and take their car keys off them. Stay calm and respectful avoiding confrontation. If they do not listen, speak up, call us on 999.

For more information about road safety and the law, visit our website: Road safety | West Midlands Police

You can report dangerous driving and submit footage here: Operation Snap | West Midlands Police