Wednesday, June 24, 2009

Polish police stop record number of drunk drivers

Polish police stopped a record 2,683 drunk drivers over a five-day holiday weekend, the Polish Press Agency PAP reported Monday.

Police also reported 612 accidents with 65 fatalities during the Catholic holiday weekend of Corpus Cristi, which began Wednesday.

'Police forecasts proved true. More drunk drivers got behind the wheel,' a police spokesman told PAP. 'This is a record number driving after consuming alcohol.'

There were 578 more drunk drivers stopped this year compared to 2008. Accidents also rose by 55 and fatalities rose by 12 compared to the same holiday weekend a year ago.

Poland, the largest of the former communist countries to enter the European Union in 2004, is notorious for its under-developed motorway network, many just dual carriageways, and lax driving standards.
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