4 men and 1 woman arrested for drink-driving in enforcement operation

Four men and one woman, aged between 21 and 49, were arrested for drink-driving during an islandwide enforcement operation conducted by the Traffic Police on Friday (Jan 4).

A total of 30 drivers were stopped and tested for alcohol consumption during the anti-drink driving operation.

The highest Breath Evidential Analyser (BEA) test result was 55 microgrammes of alcohol per 100 millilitres of breath, which is more than the prescribed legal limit of 35 microgrammes of alcohol per 100 millilitres of breath, said the police in a statement.

If convicted of drink-driving, first-time offenders can be fined between $1,000 and $5,000, and can have their driving licences disqualified for a period of not less than 12 months, depending on their breathalyser test results.

The period of driving disqualification will render their driving licences invalid, and they will have to retake and pass the theory and practical driving tests in order to obtain their driving licences again.

Repeat offenders may be punished with a maximum fine of $30,000 and a jail term of up to three years. They may also receive up to six strokes of the cane if they cause death or serious injury.

In the first nine months of 2018, there were 126 drink-driving accidents. This is an increase of 22.3% as compared to the same period in 2017.

The number of casualties involved in such accidents also increased to 160 in the first nine months of 2018 from 126 in the same period in 2017.

Deputy commander of Traffic Police, Deputy Assistant Commissioner Anthony Yap, said: "The Traffic Police conduct regular enforcement operations against irresponsible motorists who choose to put themselves and other road users in danger by drink-driving.

"Drink-driving is a serious offence and the Traffic Police will not hesitate to take tough enforcement action against motorists who choose to drink and drive."

Motorists are urged to play their part by adopting good RoadSense and keeping the roads safe for all road users.

View more photos of the enforcement operation in the gallery.