POLICE in Hampshire have launched their summer-long crackdown on drink-driving.

With the World Cup just weeks away, Hampshire Constabulary has today kicked-off the campaign to warn motorists about the perils of drink-driving.

They will join colleagues from across the country in the nationwide campaign with a theme of “the morning after”, warning of the dangers of driving even after a night’s sleep.

Police in Hampshire will be sending out extra patrols to conduct drink and drug checks on motorists throughout the day and night.

Last year 59 people in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight were killed or seriously injured in road collisions where a driver had been drinking.

And one in 17 of all fatal or serious injury accidents in the region in 2013 involved a person over the legal drink-drive limit.

Motorists convicted of drink-driving face criminal conviction which could cause their car insurance to go up or make it difficult to apply for visas to travel abroad.

It could also mean difficulties applying for mortgages, college or university places or new jobs, and some people could be sacked by their employer.

Superintendent Lucy Hutson, head of roads policing for Hampshire and Thames Valley, said: “Is it worth the risk? The answer is simple: no, it isn’t.

“After just four pints of lager, you may not be safe to drive for up to 13 hours, so whether you are drinking in the afternoon at a summer barbecue, drinking while you watch a World Cup football game or going out for a few drinks in the evening, make sure you are safe to drive.

“Just because you haven’t had a drink for a few hours, it doesn’t mean all the alcohol has left your system and you can drive. You are still likely to be over the limit.”