The number of motorists arrested for drink driving rose last year by more than a quarter, according to ?troubling? new figures.

Police statistics released yesterday reveal that 427 arrests were made in 2005, compared to 340 in 2004.

Those failing a breath test also went up from 194 in 2004 to 245 last year ? a rise of more than 26 percent.

The mean average failure rate was 184.13 milligrams of alcohol per 100 millilitres of blood ? more than double the legal limit of 80 milligrams per 100 millilitres.

And there were 139 road accidents involving alcohol in 2005. Police were not able to give a 2004 figure yesterday.

Dr. Christopher Johnson, new chairman of the Road Safety Council, described the figures as ?worrisome?.

He said: ?The problem with just looking at one blip in time is that we really need to look over five years or ten years to see if it?s episodic.

?It would be hard to say that it?s a trend upward but if it is statistically higher then of course it is worrisome.

?It?s worrying that people feel they can get in their car and drink.

?The number of accidents that involve alcohol are troubling as well. It?s not a good thing.

?We need to put the message out there frequently and strongly that drink and driving just don?t mix.?

He said the Road Safety Council was planning a number of initiatives to try to tackle the problem, including re-igniting a Designated Driver scheme in bars on the Island and providing bar owners and bar tenders with online information about dealing with drunken customers who might be planning to drive.

?We need to work out new ways that we can use Government and Police and the law to really, really restrict the ability of those people to drink drive and hurt themselves or other people,? he added.

Four hundred of those arrested for drink driving last year were men and 27 were women. One hundred and nine people refused to take a breath test, 59 passed the test and 14 were categorised as ?other?.

The arrests involved 186 cars, 218 cycles, six trucks, 13 vans, three taxis and one boat.

The highest reading taken on a breath test was 366 mg of alcohol per 100 ml of blood. The youngest person arrested was 16, who gave a reading of 106 mg.

The oldest was 76, who refused to take a breath test.

Transport Minister Dr. Ewart Brown admitted he was disappointed with the figures but said the rise in arrests could be down to better police enforcement.

?I hope that the police enforcement is getting stronger and I also hope that people are listening to the message. When it comes to behaviour we think that what we have to do is just continue to plug away and try to strengthen our public education effort.

?We are reaping the harvest of Bermuda being a place where alcohol is consumed very freely.

?It is disappointing, very disappointing and we will continue the effort to educate the public and remind people that when they drink and drive they are putting at risk careful and safe drivers.?