Pledge to catch Christmas drink drivers

16 November 2004

BRUSSELS – The Christmas holidays will see a record number of drivers tested for alcohol, the Belgian government has promised.

Belgium’s Mobility Minister, Renaat Landuyt, has decided to increase the number of breath tests carried out during this year’s festive season by 10 percent.

He made the decision following talks with national and local police forces.

The move will see 100,000 alcohol tests carried out on the roads during Christmas and New Year.

Landuyt has also published the breath tests of some 13,000 drivers stopped during weekends last year.

Almost 8 percent of the random sample were over the legal drink limit.

The typical drink-driver were men in their forties, but the new anti-drink driving campaign called BOB will target drivers of all ages.

Subject: Belgian news