MORE than five people a day are jumping behind the wheel of a car while over the limit in North Yorkshire.

The number of drink- drivers in the county is at a three-year high, with 1,834 motorists caught driving while over the prescribed drink limit in the last year - an increase of 700 - or almost 66 per cent.

Adam Briggs, who takes up the post as deputy chief constable of North Yorkshire Police on Monday, said: "This is a totally unacceptable number. That means every day there are five drivers or riders who feel they have the right to gamble with other people's lives. That attitude cannot be tolerated.

"Driving plus drink or drugs equals deadly danger. It is as simple as that."

The 1,834 were all arrested by police between April 1, 2006, and March 31 this year, compared with total of 1,107 during the same period in 2005/2006, and 1,083 in 2004/2005.

A North Yorkshire Police spokeswoman said: "The increase in drink-driving arrests is partly due to annual improvements by North Yorkshire Police in targeting drink-drivers, along with intelligence gathering which leads us to individuals, roads and times.

"However, these figures, coupled with the national trend, suggest that it may well be a growing problem.

"Motorists who flout the law can be rest assured that they will find themselves, at best, hauled before the courts and banned from the roads or, at worst, jailed for causing the death of someone else or even end up in a coffin themselves.

"The message is simple: if you've had a drink, don't even think about driving - the consequences are just not worth it."

The figures were revealed as North Yorkshire Police officers began a tough enforcement campaign against drink-driving.

Drug-drivers will also be targeted in the clampdown, which runs from Monday until Sunday, June 10.

Mr Briggs is the Association of Chief Police Officers lead on Europe-wide safety campaigns.

He said: "Forty thousand people are killed and 1,600,000 injured on Europe's roads every year.

"Approximately five per cent of drivers who are under the influence of drink or drugs are responsible for 20 per cent of these."

Officers will be breath- testing all drivers and riders involved in crashes, mounting extra patrols and setting up surprise stop-checks.

He said: "There will also be a major campaign on this theme in August, but anyone considering mixing driving with drink or drugs should be aware that this is not just an issue to be dealt with strongly at Christmas or during the summer months - this is a year-round problem that we will combat with unabated energy."

The campaign comes as national figures showed alcohol-related driving offences were at a ten-year high, with almost a quarter of all drink-driving offences being committed by young drivers aged 17 to 24.


Numbers are no surprise' say support group

Carole Whittingham, whose son, Steven, was killed by a drink-driver in 1992, and who is the founder of Yorkshire-based charity Support and Care After Road Death, said she was not surprised by the figures.

She said she spoke recently to a group of learner drivers who thought one unit of alcohol was equivalent to one drink.

"There is confusion as to what one unit actually is," she said. She also blamed a culture of "binge drinking" among young people.

The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents said the figures were "shocking" and called for a change to the drink-drive limit.

A spokesman said: "Studies have shown cutting the drink-drive limit from 80mg to 50mg (of alcohol per 100ml of blood) would save 65 lives and 230 serious injuries on Britain's roads each year."