The police will be intensifying their surveillance of drunk driving during the Pre-Christmas party period for the next three weekends. Surveillance will be carried out through mass breathalyser tests and instant drug tests throughout the country.
The police remind us that there is no excuse to drive under the influence of intoxicants even during the Pre-Christmas party period.
“During intensive surveillance, the risk of being caught is higher than normal if you drive under the influence of alcohol or drugs,” says Police Inspector Heikki Ihalainen from the National Police Board of Finland.
If you have consumed a lot of alcohol, you may also need to refrain from driving the next day.
“Even if you may no longer have any alcohol in the blood, driving may be prohibited due to fatigue. So you should stay away from behind the steering wheel until you are fully fit to drive,” Ihalainen reminds.
Severe penalties for drunk driving
Ihalainen also reminds that drunk driving can also result in other penalties than a sentence and a driving ban. “If you drive while intoxicated and have an accident, you may be fully responsible for all compensations for the accident and vehicle damage.
The police can also confiscate a motor vehicle from someone who has been found guilty of multiple drunken driving offenses and the state can take possession of the vehicle by a court decision.
Annually, approximately 19,000 people are caught while driving drunk
According to Ihalainen, around 19,000 people driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs are caught every year.
The police’s intensified surveillance of pre-Christmas traffic caught approximately 252 drunk drivers.
“Drunk driving cases and offences occur most frequently during the weekend nights in November and December. Alcohol-related accidents are also most common at this time of the year.
So it’s worth reminding again that if you drink, you don’t drive and if you drive, you don’t drink,” says Ihalainen.
