Police will target drink driving for four weeks

The annual festive road safety campaign got under way on Monday.

Police said they would be targeting drink-driving, seat belt wearing and speeding on Scottish roads over the next four weeks.

The country's drink-drive record has improved, with the number of related deaths on the decrease - fatalities have halved in the last 10 years.

However, one in every seven deaths still continued to be linked to drink driving.

The police said they would be conducting extra checks across the country over the next month.

Inspector Alan Baird of Lothian and Borders traffic division said drivers must "belt up, slow down and stay sober".

'People at risk'

Motoring organisations said an increased volume of traffic and bad weather also played a factor in the number of accidents.

Sarah Boyack, Scotland's Transport Minister, said: "The human impact of any road accident is terrible. What we are saying to people is that Christmas is a time for enjoying yourself, but not drink and drive, you are putting other people at risk."

And the Chief Constable of Tayside Police and Chairman of the ACPOS Road Policing Standing Committee, John Vine, said that in any civilised society, more than 300 road deaths per year cannot be considered acceptable.

"The issues that we are targeting in this campaign are drink-driving, speeding and seatbelts - these are areas where substantial reductions in casualties and severity of injury can be achieved.

"We all realise that the festive period is a time for family, friends and workmates to get together, to enjoy each other's company and to make the most of the very special atmosphere that exists at this time of the year.

"However, we must also realise that the temptation and pressures to take a drink and then drive may be greater over the Christmas and New Year period," said Mr Vine.