SINGAPORE: Police arrested 34 drink drivers in a four-hour islandwide operation on Wednesday night. That brings the total number of drink drivers caught so far this year to 3,243.

Road blocks were set up simultaneously along several roads after midnight to ring-fence entertainment outlets and drinking haunts in the Outram and South Bridge Road areas.

Around midnight on Wednesday, road blocks were set up along Whitley Road, Outram Road and Jalan Bukit Merah.

On Thursday at about 2.30am, simultaneous road blocks were set up along Church Street, North Canal Road, South Bridge Road and New Bridge Road to ring-fence the cluster of entertainment outlets and drinking haunts in the vicinity.

The breathalyser test was administered to 108 motorists. Thirty-four, including a woman motorist, failed the test and were arrested. Their ages range from 22 to 51 years.

The highest breathalyser result clocked was 78 microgrammes of alcohol per 100 millilitres of breath and this was more than double the prescribed legal limit of 35 microgrammes of alcohol per 100 millilitres of breath.

A total of 14 persons were also summoned for other traffic-related offences.

Drink drivers, upon conviction, will be disqualified from driving for at least 12 months, which would in effect invalidate their driving licences.

In addition, first-time offenders can be fined between S$1,000 and S$5,000, or jailed up to six months, while repeat offenders may be punished with a maximum fine of S$30,000 and a mandatory jail term of up to three years. - CNA/vm