More mobile alcohol tests as Bob winter campaign begins

Belgium's Christmas anti-drink-drive campaign returns for a 24th edition this Friday, with police adopting a new tactic to make it more difficult for motorists to avoid roadside checks.

The Bob campaign is a joint initiative between the federal government and Belgium's three regions. This year's slogan is: "Proud to be Bob" - Bob being the nickname for the designated driver in a group who stays sober on a night out.

Instead of having a large police presence at a fixed location all night, this year's roadside checks will be smaller, more spread out and more mobile. In some cases, teams will move on to another location after just 40 minutes.

The winter campaign runs until 20 January. According to a survey by road safety institute Vias, 80% of drivers are familiar with the Bob concept, but only 59% think that being a designated driver is something to be proud of.

Last year in Belgium there were almost 4,300 road accidents in which at least one of the drivers was under the influence of alcohol - or about 12 a day.