Last update - 00:00 29/06/2007
Police: Number of inebriated drivers arrested doubles in 2007
By Haaretz Service
Police arrested 3,866 drivers suspected of driving under the influence of alcohol since January - twice as many as they did in the same period last year, according to data released Friday.
In addition, 160 drivers were arrested since the beginning of the year on suspicion of driving under the influence of illegal drugs, police official Ephraim Ehrlich told Israel Radio on Friday.
"This is a very worrying phenomenon that we are fighting with all our strength and devotion in order to reduce and eventually eliminate it," Ehrlich said.
More than 30 percent of vehicles impounded by police belonged to people driving under the influence of alcohol, he said.
Police official Avi Ben Hmo called on police officers to continue their efforts to halt drunk driving.
Six people were killed and 1,030 injured, 12 of them seriously, in some 900 traffic accidents that took place throughout the country this week.