Skip to main content

Over 900,000 European drivers tested for alcohol in summer safety operation

A series of controls to enforce drink driving and drug driving regulations across Europe saw police conduct more than 900,000 breath tests in a seven-day period, of which nearly 18,000 were positive. Motorists were also checked for drugs in the operation, organised by the European Traffic Police Network (TISPOL), between 4 and 10 June. In total, 928,863 drivers were controlled. There were 17,970 alcohol offences and 2,773 drug offences detected.
August 22, 2012 Read time: 2 mins
A series of controls to enforce drink driving and drug driving regulations across Europe saw police conduct more than 900,000 breath tests in a seven-day period, of which nearly 18,000 were positive. Motorists were also checked for drugs in the operation, organised by the European Traffic Police Network (650 TISPOL), between 4 and 10 June. In total, 928,863 drivers were controlled. There were 17,970 alcohol offences and 2,773 drug offences detected.

In addition, during the operation, police officers detected a total of 3,369 other crimes, including 277 drug detections, 47 cases of human trafficking and 27 firearms offences.

“Drug-driving and drink-driving remain significant contributory factors in road deaths,” said TISPOL president Pasi Kemppainen. “We have made progress in helping make more and more road users aware of the dangers of driving after taking drugs or alcohol, or both.

Meanwhile, TISPOL’s pan-European speed enforcement operation continues throughout this week. The operation, which involves both static speed detection and roadside officer intervention, forms a key part of the organisation’s strategy designed to reduce the number of people killed and seriously injured on Europe’s roads.

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • Hawaii DoT begins issuing driver speed warnings
    March 13, 2025
    10 intersections already have red-light running detection in downtown Honolulu
  • Interactive map reveals the UK’s riskiest roads
    November 20, 2018
    The A254 between the junction with A28 in Margate and the junction with the A255 near Ramsgate is the UK’s riskiest road, according to an interactive Dangerous Road Map. There were 26 fatal and serious crashes per billion vehicle kilometres on this road, say motor insurer Ageas and the Road Safety Foundation (RSF). Both organisations are now calling on an immediate investment from the UK government of £75 million, and the same amount annually for five years thereafter to improve the country’s riskiest
  • Pupil power used in uncompromising school zone speeding initiative
    January 31, 2012
    In a unique and hard-hitting speed reduction initiative, primary schoolchildren across Carmarthenshire, in Wales, have been targeting drivers who drive too fast near their schools.
  • In-vehicle systems as enforcement enablers?
    January 30, 2012
    From an enforcement perspective at least, Toyota's recent recalls over problems with accelerator pedal assemblies had a positive outcome in that for the first time a major motor manufacturer outside of the US acknowledged publicly what many have known or suspected for quite a while: that the capability exists within certain car companies to extract data from a vehicle onboard unit which can be used to help ascertain, if not prove outright, just what was happening in the vital seconds up to an accident or cr