SCORES of motorists have tested positive for drink driving over the festive period in a police clampdown.The latest figures from Suffolk police show officers requested 1,588 breath tests between December 1 and 21.

SCORES of motorists have tested positive for drink driving over the festive period in a police clampdown.

The latest figures from Suffolk police show officers requested 1,588 breath tests between December 1 and 21.

A total of 1,578 tests were provided, after ten people refused, and of those 93 gave positive readings. There were also a further three positive test results for drugs.

Of the 93 positive drink drive tests, 15 were after the motorist was involved in an injury collision, ten after non-injury collisions, 19 after traffic offences were committed and 45 after officers suspected them of drinking alcohol.

The figures this year have changed very little in comparison to other years. During the 21-day campaign this year 5.86% of breath test requests had a positive result. This compares to the 15-day campaigns in the four previous years, with 5.2% testing positive last year, 8.5% in 2003/4, 6.3% in 2002/3 and 5.9% in 2001/2.

A spokesman for Suffolk police said: “Suffolk police runs a drink drive campaign all year round.

“However, we are now into the Christmas period and we will be giving extra attention over the festive period to keep the roads safe and take those who do drink and drive off the road.

“We do encourage members of the public who know of drink drivers to give us a call and together we can make our roads safer.”

Carole Whittingham, spokeswoman for the Campaign Against Drinking and Driving, said she was disheartened to hear the county's figures had not fallen since last year.

But she said: “I can't think that the figures are going to decrease with the 24-hour drinking. It won't be impacting on the figures coming in at the moment but those released in 12 months time.

“I think there are so many things that should be looked at now. Drink drive campaigns need to be looked at again to see if we need a different approach and re-focussed.”

Suffolk police also released data on the number of collisions that have happened this month. From December 1 to 21 there were three fatal collisions, 146 personal injury crashes and 473 damage-only collisions.

This compares to eight fatal collisions, 224 personal injury crashes and 619 damage only collisions during the whole of December 2004 and six fatal collisions, 192 personal injury crashes and 501 damage-only collisions in the same month in 2003.