Roadside breath tests top 600 as drink-drive crackdown begins to bite

MORE than 600 people have been stopped and breathalysed since police launched a Christmas drink-drive crackdown on December 1.
As a result of the checks, 13 drivers were arrested, two of whom were aged under 25 years.
Supt Andy Pullan said: “We are continuing to take a zero tolerance approach to drink-drivers.
“This is not just about the risk of getting caught, it is about the simple fact that if you drink and drive, you are 50 times more likely to be involved in a fatal crash - why take the risk?
“Any amount of alcohol affects your ability to drive safely.
“The effects can include slower reactions, increased stopping distance, poorer judgement of speed and distance, and reduced field of vision.
“Alcohol also tends to make you feel over-confident and more likely to take risks when driving, which increases the danger to all road users, including yourself.”
National figures show that motorists who drive at twice over the current legal limit of 80 milligrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of blood are at least 50 times more likely to be involved in a fatal crash, compared to a driver who has not been drinking.