EVEN a small amount of alcohol affects your ability to drive, the police have warned.

If you drink and then get behind the wheel of a car you risk your life, the lives of your passengers and others on the road. Drink driving costs lives.

Remember:

• Don’t drink and drive. The only safe limit is none.

• Beware of the morning after. You could still be over the limit.

• Plan how to get home without the need to drive.

• Don’t offer an alcoholic drink to someone you know is planning to drive.

• Don’t accept a lift from a driver you know has drunk alcohol.

Breath tests:

The police can stop you and ask you to take a breath or drug test if they think you’ve been drinking and / or taking drugs when:

• You’ve committed a traffic offence.

• You have a vehicle defect.

• You’ve been involved in a road traffic collision.

If you fail to co-operate with the roadside requirements or if you fail to provide, you will be arrested and taken to the station to provide evidential specimens.

In Devon and Cornwall there were 14,185 roadside breath tests in 2015 and 1,692 arrests.

What if I’m caught drink driving?

When you are caught drink driving, you risk an unlimited fine or going to prison, or both, a minimum driving ban and a criminal record.