Danish police announce summer focus on driving under the influence
Police in Denmark say they will place increased focus in coming weeks on drivers who are under the influence of alcohol and narcotics.
Additional police resources will be put into catching drunk and narcotics-taking drivers in all of the country’s police districts, with exact measures varying locally the National Police (Rigspolitiet) said in a press statement.
Patrols could place themselves near areas where there is increased likelihood of drinking, such as in seaside towns or summerhouse areas.
Breathalysing could also become more frequent on Sundays, with police checking whether drivers are over the limit from weekend festivities.
The campaign is taking place because of the many social events during the summer at which alcohol is consumed, the National Police said in the statement.
Driving under the influence is something “markedly more Danes are rejecting” according to officer with the National Police communications unit, Christian Berthelsen.
“But despite that there are still some motorists who haven’t got the message. The aim of our patrol is to stop them,” he said.
“We should all help each other to stop drunk driving but it can be difficult to persuade another person not to drive. Especially if you’re not sure how much he or she has had to drink,” he said.
READ ALSO: How strict are the punishments for driving offences in Denmark?
One in five fatal road traffic accidents in Denmark involves a driver who is over legal limits, according to police statistics. The vast majority of such accidents occur late on weekend evenings. The majority of people who lose their lives in the accidents are the intoxicated drivers themselves.
Some 163 people in Denmark were killed between 2017 and 2021 in an accident involving a motorist who was under the influence of alcohol. June and July are the months in which these accidents occur most frequently.
June 2022 saw 635 people charged by police for driving under the influence of alcohol and 724 for driving under the influence of narcotics.
The heightened police focus on intoxicated drivers began Monday and will continue until August 6th.
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Additional police resources will be put into catching drunk and narcotics-taking drivers in all of the country’s police districts, with exact measures varying locally the National Police (Rigspolitiet) said in a press statement.
Patrols could place themselves near areas where there is increased likelihood of drinking, such as in seaside towns or summerhouse areas.
Breathalysing could also become more frequent on Sundays, with police checking whether drivers are over the limit from weekend festivities.
The campaign is taking place because of the many social events during the summer at which alcohol is consumed, the National Police said in the statement.
Driving under the influence is something “markedly more Danes are rejecting” according to officer with the National Police communications unit, Christian Berthelsen.
“But despite that there are still some motorists who haven’t got the message. The aim of our patrol is to stop them,” he said.
“We should all help each other to stop drunk driving but it can be difficult to persuade another person not to drive. Especially if you’re not sure how much he or she has had to drink,” he said.
READ ALSO: How strict are the punishments for driving offences in Denmark?
One in five fatal road traffic accidents in Denmark involves a driver who is over legal limits, according to police statistics. The vast majority of such accidents occur late on weekend evenings. The majority of people who lose their lives in the accidents are the intoxicated drivers themselves.
Some 163 people in Denmark were killed between 2017 and 2021 in an accident involving a motorist who was under the influence of alcohol. June and July are the months in which these accidents occur most frequently.
June 2022 saw 635 people charged by police for driving under the influence of alcohol and 724 for driving under the influence of narcotics.
The heightened police focus on intoxicated drivers began Monday and will continue until August 6th.
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