New Year Warning for Cornwall Drivers After Festive Police Checks

Drivers in Cornwall are being urged to stay sober or use public transport this New Year as Devon & Cornwall Police continue their seasonal drink and drug driving campaign.

The reminder follows a planned evening operation carried out by Devon & Cornwall Police on Friday 19th December. While the checks took place in South Devon, the force says the message applies across both counties as patrols continue over the festive period.

Festive checks ahead of Christmas

During the operation, officers stopped 87 vehicles in Totnes, Kingsbridge, Newton Abbot and Torquay. A total of 24 roadside breath tests were carried out and all returned negative results.

One vehicle was seized due to having no road tax. Four drivers were arrested for drug driving. Of those four, two were also found to be in possession of an offensive weapon, while a third driver was wanted by police in another part of the country.

Officers also issued two Defect Rectification Scheme notices, meaning drivers must fix faults with their vehicles.

Police message for Cornwall motorists

Inspector Wes Watkins said patrol and roads policing officers worked with local Neighbourhood Police Teams, the Special Constabulary and the Operations department during the checks.

He said: “We are pleased that no drivers were found to be over the legal alcohol limit and would like to thank the vast majority of motorists for their co-operation.

“However we would like to remind drivers that we can also test for drug driving and this is still a problem for some. It is not safe to be impaired by alcoholic drink or drugs behind the wheel and it’s not worth the risk of injuring yourself and others, as well as perhaps losing your job and your livelihood.

“This operation was definitely worthwhile and we have also received positive feedback from our partners at the local council.”

Road safety across Devon and Cornwall

Devon & Cornwall Police is part of the road safety partnership Vision Zero South West, which aims to reduce serious injuries and fatal road traffic collisions across the region.

Driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs is listed as one of the Fatal Five causes. Other factors include not wearing a seatbelt and using a mobile phone while driving, all of which can have serious consequences for drivers, passengers and other road users.

More information is available on the Vision Zero South West website.

Safer travel options this New Year

Police are encouraging people across Cornwall to plan ahead if they intend to drink. Devon & Cornwall Police supports the Lift Legend scheme, which rewards designated drivers with free soft drinks at participating venues throughout December.

Night bus services are also running on Saturday nights and into the early hours of Sunday morning, including on New Year’s Eve. The service has been operating during summer and autumn 2025 and will restart for the new year from 10th January 2026.

In Devon, the service is operated by Stagecoach and runs on several routes, including services between Torquay, Paignton and Brixham.

Passengers are advised to check travel details before setting off via the Stagecoach website.

Police are reminding motorists across Cornwall that if there is any doubt about fitness to drive, the safest option is to leave the car at home and use public transport or a taxi instead.