News

29 July 2008
YOUNGSTER'S PLEA FOR HELP LEADS TO MOTHER'S ARREST

A five-year-old child was removed from a vehicle by members of the public in Falkirk on Sunday afternoon, 28 July, after calling out, “Stop mummy driving!”

Central Scotland Police found the child’s 35-year-old mother to have a breath-alcohol count four times over the limit with three other cases for drink driving pending.

That drink driving episode is the most extraordinary incident throughout Scotland’s eight police force areas during the two-week long ‘Summer Drink-Drugs Driving Campaign’ co-ordinated by the Association of Chief Police Officers in Scotland (ACPOS), according to a senior police officer.

Assistant Chief Constable Jim Green of Strathclyde Police and Secretary of the ACPOS Road Policing Business Area, said: “Never in my 29 years of policing, have I ever heard of such an incident where such a young child has alerted members of the public to a parent’s totally unacceptable and inexcusable behaviour.

“While the court will address the driving consequences of this woman’s behaviour, it is the underlying issues that have to be addressed by all our partners who are concerned with this driver and many other motorists’ well-being as well as that of the general and motoring public,” he added. 

In addition to the Falkirk incident, 180 other motorists throughout Scotland were stopped for drink-driving during the second week of the national campaign, bringing the total for the 2008 ‘Summer Drink-Drugs Driving Campaign’ to 343 - an increase of 11 over 2007.  That included 13 drivers arrested for being unfit through drugs and 10 drivers for being unfit through drink.

 “While that increase is marginal, it is still an increase and that means that our message is not getting through to a select group of drivers,” said Mr. Green.

A number of other incidents involving drink drivers took place during the second week of the ACPOS-led campaign:

In Edinburgh, Lothian and Borders police arrested a 29-year-old female after being advised by Fife Constabulary of her suspected drink driving. The woman’s vehicle was subsequently involved in a minor collision with a mini-bus full of children in Inverleith Place, Edinburgh. The primary school teacher provided a positive roadside breath test, was arrested and administered a second test at a police station that gave a reading of nearly four times over the limit. No one was injured in the collision.

In Dumfries and Galloway Constabulary, a 23-year-old male from Ayr appeared in Stranraer Sheriff Court on Monday after crashing a car into a parked vehicle in a holiday camp.  He had been arrested for drink driving, disqualified driving and taking a car without permission of the owner and was kept in police custody over the weekend until his court appearance.

On Thursday evening, 24 July, Lothian and Borders Police arrested a 29-year-old male near Livingston after his vehicle was spotted driving erratically.  When the vehicle stopped after colliding with the central reservation on the M8, the driver was breath tested, arrested and conveyed to a police station where he provided a second reading.  The motorist was detained in custody as he had been bailed to attend court for a similar office a month earlier when he made off from police, was traced and administered a roadside breath test showing a reading of twice the limit.

In the early hours of Wednesday, 23 July, Strathclyde Police administered a roadside breath test to a 55-year-old male on Minard Road in Strathbungo, Glasgow.  While he failed the initial test, the driver passed an intoximeter procedure at a police station.  He was found to have a meat cleaver in his possession and was detained in custody for court.

“Scottish police officers are on the roads 365 days a year, 24 hours a day to protect innocent road users from motorists who put them in danger through irresponsible behaviour,” said Assistant Chief Constable Green.  “The innocent motorist has nothing to fear as Scottish police are confident that by detecting drivers who are determined to drive after drinking or taking drugs, that the number of accidents can be reduced and lives can be saved.

“We will be brining the full weight of our powers to bear on detecting those drivers who get behind the wheel after drinking or taking drugs,” Mr. Green concluded.  “Our message is simple.  We are asking people not to risk it and if they plan to drive, not to drink or take drugs.”