'Encouraging drop' in Christmas drink-driving

Officers carried out more than 155,000 breath tests last month - 6% more than in the previous festive campaign - with 7,800 proving positive. The total compared with 9,700 drink drivers who were snared in the 2006 crackdown.

The number of drug drivers was also down, with 153 arrests compared with 251 the previous year, the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) said.

Nottinghamshire Chief Constable and ACPO head of roads policing Steve Green commented: "While just one person drinking and driving is too many, the fact that we have tested 10,000 more drivers than during the last campaign yet arrested some 20% fewer is encouraging.

"It indicates that increased enforcement and a hard-hitting campaign may be starting to have an impact. Those arrested will now be brought to justice and face potentially life-changing consequences, with disqualification, a fine or imprisonment - all possible results for their actions."

He added: "This high-profile campaign is now concluded, but with drink driving remaining a major contributor to deaths on the roads, our efforts to arrest and disqualify offenders will be relentless throughout the year ahead."

The figures were for England and Wales, but excluded Surrey Police which has yet to finalise its totals.

Random-testing

Kevin Clinton, head of road safety at the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA), said that although the police figures meant that around 250 people a day were caught drinking and driving during December, there had been "major progress" compared to the previous year.

"It shows that drink-driving is not inevitable, and that it can be reduced if the correct measures are taken," he said. "Enforcement needs to be high profile and visible so that it is a deterrent as well as a means to catch people who have been irresponsible enough to drink and drive."

It has recently been reported that the Government is now willing to look at reducing the current drink drive limit from 80mg to 50mg, in line with many other European Union countries.

Kevin Clinton claimed such a move would save around 65 lives and 230 serious injuries on Britain's roads each year. He added that RoSPA would also be pressing for random breath-testing when the Government consults on ways to deal with drinking and driving this year.

"The Christmas figures demonstrate the benefits of motorists realising the police are out on the road looking for drink-drivers," he said. "Giving the police extra powers, such as reducing the limit and being able to test anywhere and at any time, would be an opportunity to launch new campaigns to explain the reasons behind the measures, particularly to new and young drivers.

"We cannot be complacent because 540 people were killed in road accidents involving illegal alcohol levels in 2006, while in 1999 we had managed to reduce that number to 460."