An Essex Police month-long drink-driving campaign has shown some motorists are still needlessly putting lives on the line.

The roadside test hit-rate showed that 138 of 3,334 drivers were under the influence of alcohol while behind the wheel.

This is a rise to 4.2 per cent of arrests on last year's four per cent. Officers stopped 2,114 motorists, with 85 arrested last year.

This year Stanway road policing unit stopped 560 motorists, with 19 providing a positive specimen.

Bocking road policing unit stopped 349 motorists, with nine providing a positive specimen.

Chelmsford road policing unit stopped 462 motorists, with 22 provided a positive specimen.

Sgt Bob Beckwith said: "Although the number of arrests may seem relatively low to some people, we are still prosecuting a similar number of drivers each and every year. It is this consistent, persistent faction of motorists who we are aiming to rid the roads of."

Published Monday, September 6, 2004

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