Police Drink Driving Blitz in Perth this Xmas

A little exerpt from thewest.com describing the Police focus for the holiday season. Dont forget your designated driver this New Year; Police have warned of a booze-bus blitz and instant action against drink drivers as they launched their Christmas and New Year traffic campaign. Acting deputy commissioner Stephen Brown said officers would step up their efforts to catch drivers who flouted the rules. He said police would have more police cars on metropolitan and regional roads and operate booze buses almost non-stop through the period. Acting Sen-Sgt Chris Sammells said police would also have greater scope to arrest drink drivers after amendments to the State's Road Traffic Act passed on December 9. They included powers which made it easier for officers to arrest a motorist on the spot if they blew a blood alcohol reading above 0.08 and removing the right of a driver to request a blood test, which often delayed the ability of police to arrest offenders. While police said they would target other traffic offences such as speeding and failing to wear a seat belt, acting Mr Brown said there would be a particular focus on drink driving. He said alcohol was routinely among the top three causes of road deaths and trauma and people whose blood breached the 0.08 alcohol limit were seven times more likely to be involved in a traffic crash. He warned motorists they were significantly more likely to be caught over the festive season, citing police efforts which last year caught 984 people for drink driving offences during the period. The launch of the Christmas care traffic campaign came as police reminded people that double demerit points would come into force from midnight this Friday and run until the end of January 9.