Avon & Somerset police today said their new policy of publicly naming motorists charged with drink or drug-driving has been an added deterrent during their Christmas and New Year road safety campaign.
A total of 82 people have been charged and named, apart from a 17-year-old who cannot be named for legal reasons, compared with 144 motorists in the previous year’s festive crackdown.
The latest list includes Doru Lupu, 27, of Brislington, Thomas Andrew Blunsden, 28, of Staple Hill, David Michael Kelly, 33, of Soundwell, David Hill, 26, of Kingswood, and Dawid Mariusz Tarachanowicz, 30, of St George.
Road Safety Superintendent Richard Corrigan said: “That is a significant reduction, particularly as we carried out more roadside stop-checks and tested twice as many more drivers.
“The figures seem to indicate that drivers heeded all the messages we issued about the seriousness, the dangers and the consequences of drink and drug driving.
“For the first time in our Christmas 2014 campaign we decided to name those charged, and I believe that had an extra impact and helped deter people from taking a chance on driving while under the influence.”
