Police will conduct a Hong Kong-wide road safety campaign focusing on drink driving from tomorrow to October 7.

Bar patrons will be invited to take voluntary breath tests and publicity leaflets will be distributed at cross-harbour tunnel tollbooths, petrol stations and car parks.

Motorists will be reminded the Road Traffic Legislation (Amendment) Bill 2008, which includes the enhancement of penalties for drink driving, will take effect early next year.

Any driver exceeding the limit in an Evidential Breath Test will be prosecuted and face three years' jail, a $25,000 fine and possible disqualification from driving. They may also not receive compensation from insurance companies when convicted of such offences.

There were 9,636 traffic accidents in the first eight months of the year, down by 380 cases compared with the same period last year. Forty-four involved drink driving, a fall of 33 cases on the same period last year.

Statistics from 2003 to 2007 show one in every four traffic accidents involving drink driving caused either death or serious injury.