A woman who was hit by a suspected drink-driver when she was 22 weeks pregnant has spoken of her traumatic experience.
West Yorkshire Police have launched a campaign warning drivers and motorcyclists of the potentially very serious consequences of using their vehicles after drinking or taking drugs this festive season.
The campaign is being launched with a video featuring Tanya Palmer who was involved in a collision with a suspected drink driver in April 2021 when she was 22 weeks pregnant. Tanya talks about the lasting impact that the collision still has on her now 19 months on. The driver involved was convicted of failing to provide a specimen for analysis for alcohol or drugs and jailed for 12 months and banned from driving for three-and-a-half years.
Read more: 48 men and women wanted by West Yorkshire Police in connection with crimes across the county
The #WYPTheCost campaign aims to highlight the cost of being convicted of a drink or drug driving offence. This could be spending the new year in a prison cell, costly fines, the loss of your licence and in the worst-case scenario having to live with the knowledge that you have seriously injured or killed someone.
In the campaign, Tanya Palmer, told her story after she was hit by a drunk driver and raced to Leeds General Infirmary. She said: "A car came round the corner on the wrong side of the road, I thought to myself 'god he's going too quick' before thinking 'I've got nowhere to go' I gripped the steering wheel and that's probably the last thing that I remember.
"I went to the LGI and went through the Major Trauma Unit, I had about three or four days in hospital because when I had the collision when I was actually 22 weeks pregnant.
"I had various cuts and bruises, a major cut in the middle of my forehead, behind my ear, dislocated shoulder, torn deltoid ligament injury, I waited for surgery on at least one of my ankles, I'm also under the care of a neurologist because I now have problems with my memory and speech.
"Part of the process when you're in a collision is that both parties are breathalysed as soon as possible, really. I gave mine and also did the drugs test they wanted me to and I could hear various little things going on in the background because I believe that we both ended up at the same hospital."
The defendant failed to provide a specimen for analysis for drugs and alcohol. Tanya added: "I actually asked a member of hospital staff whether or not he was OK. It wasn't very nice. Not only will it have consequences for their life but the person they have the collision with, or they run into, it changed their life forever."
The driver involved was convicted of failing to provide a specimen, and jailed for 12 months and banned from driving for three and a half years. Tanya sucessfully went through her pregnancy and delivered a healthy baby boy.
Inspector Chris Robinson, of the Roads Policing Unit, said: “We talk a lot about the consequences and cost for the offender because it is their behaviour that we need to change, but Tanya’s story really brings it home the impact that drink and drug driving has on other innocent road users.
“If you’re someone who sometimes drives while over the limit, then I would ask you to think how you would feel if you were involved in a collision with someone like Tanya.
“You might think you are fine to drive or ride your motorcycle after a few pints or taking drugs, but every day we are arresting people with exactly the same mindset. There are many reasons why we conduct breathalyser or drug tests, but it is often because of a drop in the standard of driving or riding or because a collision has occurred.
“Please plan ahead this Christmas and rather than driving or riding your motorcycle, find alternative transport. If your plans change then consider how you will get home. The small inconvenience of having to collect your vehicle the next day far outweighs being arrested and facing a conviction for a drink or drug driving offence.
“If a friend or family member is planning to drive whilst over the limit then please also remind them of the consequences and encourage them to reconsider their plans.”
West Yorkshire Police will be carrying out an increased enforcement in support of the national drink and drug drive operation co-ordinated by the National Police Chief’s Council. The operation started yesterday (Sunday, November 20) and runs through until January 1, 2023. Th operation has been extended to include the start of the World Cup.
During last year’s campaign – which ran from December 1, 2021, to January 1, 2022, there were 221 arrests for drink driving, 95 arrests for drug driving and 19 arrests for failing to provide a sample.
The Roads Policing Unit will be sharing updates on Twitter throughout the campaign and giving running totals of the numbers of arrests being made. A further video is also due to be released later in the campaign highlighting the consequences for an offender.
To find out more about the work of the Roads Policing Unit, you can follow them on Twitter here or by searching for @WYP_RPU.
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