Police launch campaign against impaired driving

Police said they will intensify checks for driving under the influence of drugs and alcohol as of Monday, with the aim of protecting the public and preventing and reducing traffic accidents.

The checks will be carried out, round the clock, between Monday and Sunday next week, throughout the entire road network, especially during the midnight hours of Friday and Saturday, where driving under the influence of alcohol occurs more often, police said in a press release.

Driving under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs is one of the main causes of fatal and serious road collisions, police said, adding that, according to statistics, careless driving/driver distraction and driving under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs were the main causes of fatal road accidents in the last three years (2019-2021) with a percentage of 18% and 33.6% respectively.

Police also said that checks continue also for the rest of the traffic offences, with special emphasis given to violations that are the main causes of fatal and serious road collisions, such as driving over the limit, using a mobile phone while driving, and not wearing a seat belt or a protective helmet.

According to the press release, increased checks for driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs will also be carried out in other European countries, as part of a pan-European campaign, under the auspices of the European Traffic Police Network ROADPOL.