HOLIDAY TRAFFIC
THE SOBER REALITY OF DRINK DRIVING
As the festive season approaches, the police are warning of the dangers of drink-driving. PC Sam Sparkes gives her perspective
“It’s definitely busier over the festive period for road traffic officers, especially when it comes to drink-driving,” PC Sparkes told POLICE magazine. PC Sparkes has served Bedfordshire
Police for 27 years and knows the deadly consequences of drink-driving, having attended dozens of fatal collisions, and broken life-changing news many times as a family liaison officer.
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One Christmas, a father drove his partner and young son home drunk. Excess speed caused the car to catch fire, the mother and son were ejected from the car and the father and son did not survive. “Come to the mortuary with me and watch a grieving parent identify their child because someone thought a pint was more important than staying sober,” Sam said.
In 2020, 50,317 vehicles were stopped over the festive season, 42,613 screening breath tests and 6,217 screening drug tests were administered and 6,730 motorists caught drink- or drug-driving. “People often report their partner, friend
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or family member has gone out in their vehicle after drinking. Police will respond, but it’s better to prevent drink-driving as police may be too late to prevent a fatal collision,” she said.
A sharp decline in roads policing officers and chronic underfunding has undermined effective road policing and accident reduction. Since 2015, full-time equivalent road policing officer numbers have fallen by 22%, while spending has been cut by
always a need for more support. “We see devastation every day – once
“If I could tell one message to the public it would be: ‘Come to the mortuary with me, watch a grieving parent identify their son or daughter because someone thought a pint of beer was more important than staying sober’”
34% since 2010. The daily drip feed of trauma for officers is damaging. Roads policing officers are one of the highest risk categories for post- traumatic stress disorder. “In my force, we have TRIM, debriefs
with our sergeants, peer support and people can be referred to the Occupational Health Unit. But it’s all about talking,” explained Sam. “There is
you’ve dealt with the first traumatic incident, if you’re on duty the next day, you may have to attend another in a short period of time as there are so few of us in the job. “You’ve got to reach out and talk. People are not mind-readers, so you have to make that initial step of reaching out.” It’s important to react if you notice behavioural changes: “If you see a colleague withdrawn or notice they don’t want to go to that job, ask yourself why.” “I was with a
sergeant on a job
and he froze – it was his fourth traumatic incident in a short period of time – I recognised it and got him away. “If you spot unusual behaviour in your
colleagues, speak to somebody. “If you’re in a well-established team, you
are going to know how your colleagues react. If they are not reacting in the way they normally do, you have a duty of care to yourself and them to say something.”
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