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'TIS the season to be jolly, when more motorists get caught for drink driving.
And with 50 per cent of drink drivers arrested last year aged between 20 and 34, the Traffic Police is taking the battle to these young drivers' turf, the Internet.
The portal, www.sadd.sg, goes live on Monday, with advice and information on drink driving, as well as a video clip which highlights its dangers.
Plans were announced at the Traffic Police's annual anti-drink drive campaign launched yesterday by Minister of State for Health Heng Chee How.
The focus of this year's campaign comes in the wake of sobering statistics, most worryingly, the high number of young drink drivers.
But the national campaign also seeks to lower drink driving across all age groups.
Arrests have gone up by 27 per cent since 2004, from 2,929 cases then to 3,733 cases last year.
In the first nine months of this year, 11 people lost their lives in drink driving accidents, six people were seriously injured and another 187 slightly injured.
In previous years, television commercials have targeted young drivers, said DSP Simon Ng, commanding officer of the Traffic Police's road safety branch.
Now, with the Internet, he hopes to reach out to them 'on a larger scale'.
Other initiatives include a new anti-drink drive pledge, as well as road shows conducted at major shopping centres and driving centres.
A youth advocacy group is also hard at work.
Inspired by United States advocacy group Mothers Against Drink Driving, the youth movement in Singapore is called Students Against Drink Driving (SADD).
Launched by Mrs Manbir Lalwani, who was Mrs Singapore 2006, it includes volunteers from universities, junior colleges, polytechnics and Institutes for Technical Education.
SADD ambassador R. Vignesh, 17, a first-year engineering student at Ngee Ann Polytechnic, pointed out: 'Youths usually tend to listen to their friends rather than parents or teachers...hopefully, they will heed our advice and act more responsibly.'
Drink driving is usually rampant this time of year.
Last Christmas, police arrested 14 motorists for drink driving in just six hours - between 11.30pm and 5.30am - on Christmas Eve.
In 2004, 14 were arrested on New Year's Eve, more than double the six arrested on the same day in 2002.
Yet, at least one drink driver does not expect the campaign to work on everyone.
An 18-year-old student, who did not want to identify himself, said: 'Some will shrug it off, others might take the advice seriously. I am not sure if it will make me change my ways.'
limjess@sph.com.sg
twong@sph.com.sg
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