9:49am Monday 1st December 2008
By Naomi Loomes
Police in Sussex have arrested more than 80 people for drink driving in the past fortnight.
Officers are carrying out early morning and late night patrols in the run up to Christmas.
Motorists are being breathalysed randomly across the county and 1,641 have been breath tested, with 82 arrests.
The crackdown comes as road safety chiefs announced a £1.6 million campaign.
Inspector Phil Clarke said: “We carry out our checks early in the morning when people are often attempting to drive home after a night’s drinking and late at night when some people decide to drive home in the middle of a night’s drinking.”
The roads policing unit has targeted drink driving hotspots in Brighton and Hove, Polegate, the West Downs and the North Downs areas. Insp Clarke said: “My concern is that a significant number of those drivers arrested were ‘the morning after’ and a considerable number of drivers are providing evidential samples of at least double the legal limit to drive. Some are three or four times over the limit.
“This shows a blatant disregard for their own safety and the safety of others and a contemptuous attitude to the law, a law that is intended to save lives and prevent serious injury.
“The misery created by road deaths is incalculable but such incidents are compounded when they occur over or during the run up to the festive season.”
Under the new nationwide Think! campaign more motorists caught driving under the influence may face a six-month prison sentence as well as an automatic disqualification.
Insp Clarke said: “The majority of the people we catch are not borderline. They are well over the limit and are hardened drink drivers who do it regularly.
“What people don't realise is it doesn’t make a difference if you're good at drink driving and it doesn’t show. Everyone who is involved in an accident, even if it’s not their fault, will be tested for alcohol consumption.”
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