LATEST figures show that one in 10 drivers who took a breath test over the Christmas and New Year period were over the legal drink-drive limit. Police in England and Wales said 12,402 breath tests were taken and of those 1,080 were positive.

There were 5,242 injury collisions reported to police during the 15 days of the campaign, a drop of 20%, or 1,270 incidents, on the same period last year, says the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO).

Richard Brunstrom, head of ACPO road policing and Chief Constable of North Wales, said: 'While I consider this year's campaign a resounding success in terms of death and injury reduction, drinking and driving is still commonplace and the incidence in collisions dealt with by police over the Christmas and New Year period, at 8%, has hardly changed since 1997.

'These figures only provide a snapshot of the drinking and driving habits in England and Wales but it is quite clear that there are still too many people drinking and driving, not only at Christmas and New Year but all the year round.'

Mary Williams, chief executive of road safety charity Brake, said: 'Drink driving, and increasingly drug driving, are a scourge on society and it's horrendous and unbelievable that despite years of campaigning and enforcement it hasn't been stamped out.'

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