Quiet start to campaign

Press, 5 December 1988, Page 3

Quiet start to campaign

BY

NEIL CLARKSON

The Ministry of Transport’s Christmas campaign against drunken driving made a quiet start in Christchurch at the week-end, although the number of motorists stopped is likely to rise as December 25 approaches. ~ .. Senior Traffic Sergeant, Russell Dellow, said the campaign was launched with normal week-end patrol numbers on duty. Staff numbers would increase as Christmas approached. The campaign, which started on Friday evening and will run until January 5, involves the automatic breath-testing of all drivers stopped between 5 p.m. and .6 a.m. who were either speeding or not wearing a seat belt. . Twelve motorists were stopped for speeding between 5 p.m. and midnight on Friday. All gave negative breath tests. . The eight motorists tested during the same period after being stopped for not wearing seat belts also gave negative tests. Routine patrols administered 14 breath-screening tests and eight drivers went on to give evidential breath tests. Two gave blood. Random stopping at checkpoints — now a regular enforcement measure — saw, 76 motorists pulled over. Three were given breath tests, all proving negative. Friday evening was marred by a high number of accidents. There were five non-injury accidents and seven with injury, the most serious involving a cyclist who suffered a broken leg in an accident on Moorhouse Avenue.