MORE than 300 suspected drink or drug drivers were arrested in West Yorkshire over the Christmas and New Year period.

A total of 334 people were arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence of drink or drugs as part of West Yorkshire Police’s annual campaign, which ran from December 1 to January 1.

Of those figures 229 were arrested on suspicion of drink driving, while 107 were arrested for suspected drug driving.

A further 59 people were arrested for failing to provide a sample or specimen when stopped by officers.

The highest daily total of drink driving arrests in West Yorkshire took place on New Year’s Day (21 arrested) followed by Christmas Eve (16 arrested), while the highest daily total of drug driving arrests happened on New Year’s Eve (nine arrested).

Some of the people who were arrested as part of the campaign have already been dealt with by the courts – and banned from driving before Christmas.

Four people received driving bans ranging from 12 months to three years – with fines of up to £1,065.

Five more drivers have been given interim driving bans pending pre-sentence reports, while a further 50 drivers arrested in December are due in court in the next fortnight.

Chief Inspector James Farrar, Head of the Roads Policing Unit, said: “Our 2023 campaign focused on some of the excuses people use for either drink or drug driving.

“Our officers have carried out hundreds of breath tests and drug wipes and have certainly heard plenty of excuses over the Christmas and New Year period – but the fact of the matter is there is no excuse for drink or drug driving.

“Some of the people arrested have already been banned from driving while many more will be facing driving bans and large fines in the coming weeks. This can of course have an impact on their lives in other ways.

“To the people who made the responsible decision to make sure they had a designated driver, used public transport or took a taxi rather than get behind the wheel, I’d like to thank them for helping to make West Yorkshire’s roads safer.

“Our activities to keep the roads of West Yorkshire safe will continue throughout the new year. The West Yorkshire Police Roads Policing Unit works all year round to ensure that reckless and dangerous drivers are taken off our roads.”