Traffic Police to step up checks during festive period to curb drink-driving

The Traffic Police will step up on anti-drink driving operations during the festive season. It will also set up road blocks islandwide. -- PHOTO: SINGAPORE POLICE FORCE
The Traffic Police will step up on anti-drink driving operations during the festive season. It will also set up road blocks islandwide. -- PHOTO: SINGAPORE POLICE FORCE

SINGAPORE - You better watch out. You better not...drink and drive.

For the traffic policemen are not only coming to town, but also fanning out islandwide to conduct road blocks to check if you have been naughty or nice.

Traffic Police (TP) said they will be stepping up on anti-drink driving operations during the festive period.

A police spokesman told The Straits Times: "Drink driving is a concern to the TP as there are still motorists out there who stubbornly refuse to heed the anti-drink driving advice. Their selfish and irresponsible actions endanger not only their own lives but also the lives of other innocent road users who share the roads with them."

More people have been caught for drink-driving.

For the first six months this year, 1,543 arrests were made for drink-driving, compared with 1,535 in the same period last year. There were 3,019 drink-driving violations for the whole of last year, compared with 2,917 in 2012.

In the first 10 months of this year, 12 people died as a result of drink-driving, including six who were not behind the wheel. Last year, 17 died.

Earlier in December, TP launched an anti-drink drive campaign with the Singapore Road Safety Council to remind drivers not to drink and drive. The campaign will cover the festive periods of Christmas, New Year and Chinese New Year as people are likely to drink during the celebrations, said the police spokesman.

If convicted, drink drivers will be disqualified from driving for at least 12 months and lose their driving licences. First-time offenders can be fined between $1,000 and $5,000, or jailed up to six months.

Repeat offenders can be fined up to $30,000 and face a mandatory jail term of up to three years. They also face up to six strokes of the cane if death or serious injury is caused from drink driving.

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