An over merry Christmas for 9,275 drivers

The RAC Foundation has described the number of drink and drug drive arrests over the Festive period as: "extremely worrying" and demanded new thinking to stem the trend.

According to the Association of Chief Police Officers, figures for England and Wales show that 9,275 people were arrested for drinking and driving over the Christmas and New Year period and 178 people were arrested for drug driving.

Scotland and Northern Ireland showed increases – with a rise from 750 in the same period in 2004 to 768 in 2005 for the former and from 529 to 552 for the latter.

Now the RAC Foundation has launched a plan to tackle the problem and stem the rising tide of deaths and injuries caused by drink and drug driving. 590 people were killed in 2004 as a result of drinking or taking drugs and driving - up from 580 drink drive related deaths in 2003.

More traffic police to target drink and drug drivers, get them off the roads and provide a deterrent. The lack of visible evidence of enforcement adds to the perception that people can simply do it and get away with it. Better use of intelligence must be employed to target efforts to provide both a high profile disincentive and a rapid response to the most dangerous motoring offenders

A year round Government anti-drink drive advertising campaign. This should be supported by research and targeting of high risk groups.

A separate high profile multi media advertising campaign targeted at those groups most likely to take drugs and drive. This should be designed to highlight the dangers of mixing driving with the use of illicit and some prescription and over the counter medicines and to change attitudes towards drugs and driving.

A hard-hitting education campaign about the dangers of driving on cannabis This is the most commonly consumed drug by drivers. There are estimated to be one and a half million cannabis users in the UK and the genetically modified strains now coming into the country together with the prevalence of the use of home grown material means that driving may be even more detrimentally affected.

The greater utilisation of proactive schemes such as ‘designated driver’ to encourage drivers not to drink, and drinkers not to drive.

The use of technology, such as alcohol ignition interlock devices to prevent offenders from drinking and driving.

Powers to require repeat drink drive offenders to have to retake their driving test and greater police power to administer roadside evidential breath tests, instead of having to arrest drivers to take a test at a police station.

An extension of penal sanctions available to the courts to ensure that drink drive offenders are able to receive a combination of punishment, education and advice to reduce the likelihood of repeat offending once they are allowed back on the road.

Better public transport late at night and in the early hours. This may help to reduce the temptation to drink or drug drive.

Edmund King, executive director of the RAC Foundation said: "These figures are further proof that the downward trend in drink drive figures achieved over two decades has now stalled. Reductions in the number killed and seriously injured in drink drive related accidents in the 1980s and early 1990s (from 9,000 to under 4,000) are no longer being made.

"The facts prove that we once again have a growing problem with drinking and drug driving in the UK and that there is a need to understand why, despite years of campaigning, the problem still exists to this extent.

"The message is not getting through to some. It is horrifying to see that almost one fifth of drivers killed are over the legal limit.

"It is vital that we get to grips with the problem and find pro-active, year round methods to stop the menace of drink and drug driving."