West Midlands Police has vowed to continue putting the brakes on drink drivers – after stopping a motorist who dangerously swerved into oncoming traffic and towards a bus stop while over four times the limit.
In the footage (below) the driver of a Ford KA can be seen swerving all over the road, somehow believing that activating his hazard warning lights in some way ‘excuses’ his behaviour.
West Midlands Police has insisted there will be no let up in stopping irresponsible motorists who ignore all warnings and get behind the wheel while intoxicated this Christmas; after releasing the footage of a drink driver caught just days after launching a festive crackdown.
The 35-year-old driver weaved across Newton Road, Great Barr, and narrowly missed hitting parked cars in Hamstead Road after being spotted by officers at around 10.45am last Sunday (2 December).
The KA the man was driving was without a front tyre and he recorded 161 microgrammes of breath in 100 millilitres of breath when tested.
The legal limit is 35 microgrammes.
West Midlands Police also released video of sparks flying from a BMW X5 which was also travelling on the motorway without a front wheel or back tyre at around 8am that same morning.
The car ended up hitting a crash barrier on the M42 Southbound between junctions four and five.
By releasing this sort of footage, then hopefully the message regarding urging people NOT to get behind the wheel having had too much alcohol to drink might help to prevent drunk drivers from taking to the road.
WMP and Central Motorway Police Group (CMPG) are running the month-long drink and drug driving Christmas clampdown throughout this month. Those caught under the influence can face penalty points, a ban and jail.
Sergeant Jon Butler, from WMP, said:
“We can only hope the message gets through that there are real dangers to getting behind the wheel while under the influence of drink or drugs. This is both to drivers and other innocent members of the public.
“We have a zero tolerance approach and our officers are out there 24/7 to catch those who risk the safety, and lives, of themselves and innocent others.
“Drink driving is unacceptable and we will catch and prosecute those who break the law.”
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