Police launch 24-hour intensive breathalyser tests today

The police will carry out a 24-hour drunk driving surveillance campaign from 2:00 pm on Friday until 2:00 pm on Saturday, said a press release issued by National Police Board on Thursday.

The campaign involves surveillance of drunk driving, as extensively and efficiently as possible with the resources available at police departments. The main focus of the surveillance activities will be on the evening and night-time.

“When leaving for a Pre-Christmas party, you should leave your car at home and use for instance public transport, if you intend to celebrate with alcohol. It is also vital to remember that if you consume alcoholic drinks in the evening, you can still have alcohol in your blood the next morning, and even later on the next day,” said Chief Superintendent of the National Police Board Heikki Kallio.

Annually, approximately 18,000 people are caught driving while drunk. The police’s intensified surveillance of pre-Christmas traffic, carried out about a month ago, caught a total of 252 suspected drunk drivers over two weekends. Of these, 75 drivers are suspected of driving while seriously intoxicated.

Drunk driving cases and offences occur most frequently during the weekend nights in November and December, which is why surveillance of drunk driving is carried out during this period. Alcohol-related accidents are also common at this time of the year.