Scotland's eight police forces are calling on the public to "shop" friends and relatives they suspect of drink-driving this Christmas and New Year.

Senior officers say this year's drink-driving campaign will be more intelligence-led and less about catching offenders through random breath tests.

The four-week purge, which began on Friday and was officially launched on Monday, will also concentrate on speeding and non-seat belt wearing.

Within the first 24 hours Lothian and Borders Police found six people had failed a breath test and more than 40 motorists had been caught driving over the speed limit or not wearing a seat belt.

Police claim there is widespread support for the initiative, and they say there has been little criticism from the 160 drivers who were stopped over the weekend and passed the breath test.

Official launch

Strathclyde Police will be emphasising the need for help from the public - and they will be asking for people to blow the whistle on offending motorists they suspect are breaking the law.

Various road safety campaigns are launched at different times of the year to encourage motorists to heed the on-going messages about not drinking and driving, the importance of seat-belt wearing and the need to cut speed.

Drink-driving rose by 2% during last year's campaign - up from 946 in 1997/98 to 968 in 1998/99. Alcohol was implicated in a total of 103 road accidents across Scotland during the festive period last year.

Seat belt survey

A survey of seat belt use in Scotland published last year showed that although 94% of car drivers and 92% of front seat passengers wore seat belts, only 55% of adult rear passengers were restrained.

Tayside Chief Constable William Spence, chairman of the Association of Chief Police Officers in Scotland (ACPOS) road committee, said: "The festive campaign is not an issue which should be viewed in isolation but rather as part of enforcement activity which is undertaken throughout the year.

"All eight forces will utilise intelligence in an effort to maximise detection rates of drink-drivers throughout Scotland with the minimum amount of inconvenience to the motoring public.

"This is the Millennium, this is a once in a lifetime opportunity, let's not see any lives lost needlessly."

Posters aimed at young people

A light-hearted road safety poster campaign was launched by Lothian and Borders Police earlier this year which used a picture of an underpants-wearing young man.

The unlikely image was adopted in an attempt to encourage young drivers to attend a free driving course being run by the force.

The advert suggested young drivers may need a change of underwear when they realise how frightening it is to be involved in a road accident.