West Yorkshire-based road safety charity Brake has urged drivers to pledge not to drink alcohol before getting behind the wheel this summer.

The call came as police across England and Wales began a month-long summer drink and drug driving enforcement campaign.

Officers will be stepping up roadside checks for alcohol and drugs and speaking to the public about the risks. Last summer, 83,000 drivers were stopped and breathalysed and six per cent failed or refused.

Julie Townsend, Brake’s deputy chief executive, said: “Even very small amounts of alcohol increase your risk of crashing dramatically, yet every year thousands of drivers risk it, and too often this results in tragedy.

“We need everyone on board with the message that it’s ‘none for the road’, and if you do risk it, you will be caught. Police will be out in force over the next month spreading the message that drink driving kills and there is no excuse for it.

“We’re also urging the government to help end alcohol-induced carnage on our roads, and tackle confusion about what's safe and what's not, by lowering the limit to a zero tolerance level.”