By Steven Bell

A SUSPECTED drink driver was snared by Tayside’s senior police officer during the latest phase of the police festive enforcement campaign on the region’s roads.

Chief Constable John Vine was on patrol with road policing officers in Perthshire when a woman was allegedly found to be under the influence of alcohol.

Thirty-five people were detected drink driving in Tayside over the third week of the Don’t Risk It! campaign.

The figure represents a huge increase on the 14 caught during the same period last year, and compares with the 23 detections in week two this year.

Chief Inspector Sandy Bowman, head of road policing, said, “It is apparent that a minority of drivers choose to flout the law and our safety by thinking that they can still drink and drive and get away with it.”

“The numbers that we have detected so far will soon be finding out the full meaning of the ‘Don’t Risk It’ message,” said Mr Bowman.

“Please don’t let this happen to you, to your friends or to your relatives. Please think about the potential consequences and don’t be tempted to drink or take drugs and drive.”

The potential hazards were highlighted by another Perthshire case days before Christmas, in which a driver was allegedly found to be over the limit after an incident in which two cars crashed off the road.

In Angus, officers stopped a man who would not give a breath test—then allegedly discovered a six-year-old child accompanying him in the vehicle.

“The drivers that we have detected have decided to take a risk and get behind the wheel of a vehicle, placing themselves, their passengers and other innocent road users at considerable risk,” Mr Bowman said.

“Some have been detected as a result of being involved in collisions, thankfully and fortunately the majority of these have not been as serious as they could have been and that is simply down to good fortune. Others have been traced and stopped before further potential tragedies have occurred.”

Of those people breath tested after being involved in a collision, six drivers provided positive results. All of them were men.

Other inquiries resulted in 29 people giving positive breath tests, just over half in Perth and Kinross and all but four of them male.

“There is simply no place for this behaviour on our roads and we all have a responsibility to ensure that the roads are as safe as possible,” said Mr Bowman.

In addition to the anti- drink/drug driving message, officers are giving continuing attention to other offences that have an adverse impact on road safety.

That resulted in 47 people being reported for using a mobile phone at the wheel, while the same number were caught speeding.

During the week, 71 adults were reported for not wearing a seat belt and, worryingly, three children were found not to be properly restrained.

“There are still far too many people not bothering for some incomprehensible reason to wear a seat belt,” added the chief inspector. “A seat belt plays a crucial role in preventing injury in the event of a collision.”