MOTORISTS who get behind the wheel while high on drugs or drunk will be targeted by police as part of a month-long Christmas crackdown. 

West Midlands Police and the Central Motorway Police Group (CMPG) will target motorists who put lives at risk during the December drink and drug driving campaign. 

Police have released telling footage of a van dangerously weaving across a motorway at high speeds, almost hitting other vehicles, to highlight the dangers of drink driving. 

You can view the footage by clicking here.

For the winter operation, officers have also secured £40,000 funding from the Government to carry out roadside drug tests. 

The cash will arm police officers with handheld testing kits to catch those driving while under the influence of illegal substances. 

The overall clampdown starts today (Tuesday, December 1) and will see officers carry out unmarked patrols, act on intelligence and do tests following road traffic collisions. 

They will be out in force to breathalyse drivers 24/7 during December and will target hotspot areas including the night time economy.  

To illustrate the risks of driving while over the limit, police dash camera footage has been released by traffic cops showing a drunk-driver slaloming across the M5. 

The driver, who was almost three times the drink-drive limit, led officers on a pursuit from near Frankley Services and hit speeds of over 80mph on October 20 this year; he only stopped on the northbound carriageway when the vehicle was ‘stung’ near junction two at Oldbury. 

The driver, aged 34 from Shrewsbury, was disqualified from driving for two years and given a 12-month community order; he was also given a bill of £245 after being taken to court. 

Inspector Greg Jennings, from the Central Motorway Police Group (CMPG) − an alliance between West Midlands, West Mercia and Staffordshire Police, said: "These reckless actions could have caused a serious accident and put innocent motorists at risk. It is a stark reminder of the dangers of driving while over the limit. 

"Christmas time is always a peak period for us, with so many people out celebrating and perhaps behaving differently to normal.

"Collisions caused by drink and drug driving regularly result in serious injuries and deaths on our roads.

"Combining drink and illegal drugs is especially deadly  - it has been found that drivers who have consumed both are 23 times more likely to be involved in a fatal crash than sober drivers."

The campaign last Christmas saw 2,437 motorists stopped for breath tests with 285 providing a positive test or failed to provide a sample. 

This was followed by a summer crackdown which saw CMPG officers make 69 drink-drive arrests from 259 breath tests − a hit rate of 26 per cent. 

Insp Jennings added: "It shows we’re targeting the right people and not unfairly inconveniencing innocent motorists. Our approach is intelligence-led, targeting people and vehicles we believe to be drink drive risk takers." 

An online survey has also been produced so members of the public can assist officers in catching offenders and is available at snapsurveys.com