DESPITE all the campaigns and TV horror images of dead and mutilated people, there are still some people who will get behind the wheel, even though they know full well they are over the drink driving limit.

Each Christmas and New Year there is a rise in the number of deaths and serious injuries and more families are torn apart by it all.

In 3,000 fatal road accidents last year, alcohol was put down as the cause.

So the news that Bolton police are gearing up for a major operation to catch the foolhardy before they can kill someone is to be welcomed, particularly for the deterrent effect that news should have.

Especially welcome is that, as well as the marked police cars which announce to all and sundry that officers are on the prowl, some will also tour in unmarked cars. The time for giving drivers a sporting chance to evade detection has long since passed.

But it is surprising that when it comes to the subject of police versus drink drivers, there still seems to be an underlying element of Wild West justice in Britain -- that the guilty driver has to " shoot" first before the police can draw.

That is evident in the police statement that roadside spot checks will be made to ensure vehicles have been properly maintained for winter driving. Only then, if an officer suspects the driver has been drinking, will they be asked to take a breath test.

There is still this strange civil liberties code in Britain that police cannot simply stop a driver unless there is reasonable suspicion of an offence.

In reality, there is surely not a responsible driver in the land who would object to being pulled in once in a while for a random roadside check if the end result was that no drink driver would again dare to take to a highway.

Also puzzling is the police plan to target "known" drink driving areas. Why are there still known drink driving areas in Bolton?

Road deaths do not have such a shocking impact when they are reported one by one throughout a year. Added together they are horrendous.

If just one life is saved by this latest police operation it will be worth it.

But don't wait for Christmas and New Year. Make a resolution now -- if you drive, don't drink.