Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to support (a) local authorities and (b) police forces in promoting road safety in Surrey over the festive period.

The Government is committed to reducing the numbers of those killed and injured on our roads. Driving under the influence of alcohol and drugs is completely unacceptable and there are tough penalties in place and we expect the police to enforce them. Drink-driving penalties - GOV.UK

The Department for Transport is developing a Road Safety Strategy, the first in a decade which they intend to publish by the end of the year. This includes the case for changing motoring offences, such as drink and drug driving.

Section 10 of the Road Traffic Act 1988 provides the police the power to arrest and detain an individual if they have provided a specimen of breath, blood or urine that exceeds the prescribed drink or drug driving limit or the individual’s ability to drive properly is impaired. The use of these powers is an operational matter for the police.

Under section 4 of the Road Traffic Act 1988, an individual is guilty of an offence if their ability to drive is impaired by drink or drugs.

The Government continues to support the police to ensure they have the tools needed to enforce road traffic legislation.

The Government’s flagship road safety campaign THINK! aims to reduce the number of people killed and seriously injured on the roads in England and Wales, by changing attitudes and behaviours. The Government launched a drug drive awareness campaign to coincide with THINK! for the first time on 24 November.

The campaign will be supported by coordinated enforcement activity by the police under Operation Limit, which aims to tackle drink and drug driving over the festive period.