Police brand Christmas drink-drive figures 'unacceptable'

Police have branded the latest drink-drive figures as "unacceptable" despite a slight drop in the number of drivers involved in accidents testing positive over the Christmas period.

Out of 15,635 breath tests carried out on drivers involved in accidents last month, 1,344 tested positive - 8.6 per cent. In 2004, over the same period, 8.75 per cent of drivers involved in a collision tested positive.

For the first time 'fit to drive' tests were included in the police crackdown. Tests were carried out on 540 drivers suspected of being impaired while under the influence of drugs.

Meredydd Hughes, the Association of Chief Police Officers' road policing spokesman, said: "Despite more than 40 years of campaigns to warn of the dangers of drink-driving, and the best efforts of police, some drivers continue to consider themselves above the law, putting themselves and other road users at risk by drinking and driving.

"There are no excuses for this behaviour."

Mark Hastings, the British Beer and Pub Association's communications director, said he believed the figures reflected the general toughening up in the enforcement of the drink-drive laws.

He added: "We as an industry fully support the introduction of random testing and would like to see more police out there to enforce drink-drive laws."

However some licensees are helping tackle the problem of drink-driving head-on. Last month the Duke's Head in Wallington, South London and the Three Horseshoes in Yaxley, Peterborough are among pubs which have recently teamed up with local taxi firms to give customers a lift home.

Meanwhile Ian Fletcher, licensee at the Little Mill Inn, in Rowarth, Derbyshire, will soon be offering his customers a ride home after buying a London Routemaster bus.