Roadside sobriety checkpoints could soon be set up to crack down on drivers who get behind the wheel after drinking alcohol.

Earlier this week the head of alcohol awareness group CADA, Anthony Santucci, renewed calls for the initiative to be implemented, claiming that it could save lives.

And Government has now confirmed it is in talks with police to examine how the scheme could be introduced on the Island’s roads.

On average, more than ten people are killed in road traffic accidents each year in Bermuda. And statistics show that alcohol played a role in more than half of recent road fatalities.

Autopsies on 30 motorists who died in 2010, 2012 and 2013 revealed that 17 of the victims had been drinking alcohol immediately before their fatal accidents. Most of the fatalities were the result of single vehicle accidents which took place late at night or in the early hours of the morning.

On Tuesday, CADA chairman Mr Santucci urged Government to take action, claiming that the checkpoints resulted in “a significant decrease in the number of alcohol-related road collisions and road fatalities”.

That claim echoed the views of CADA colleague Dr Joseph Froncioni, who has previously argued the initiative would instil “the fear of getting caught” in motorists tempted to drive after drinking.

Government has previously pledged to tackle the Island’s culture of drink-driving, speeding and underage drinking. Last year Transport Minister Shawn Crockwell unveiled proposals to reduce the legal drink-drive alcohol limit from 80 milligrams per 100 millilitres of blood to just 40 milligrams, as well as allowing roadside breathalyser readings to be admissible in court as evidence, and setting up a network of speed cameras that will snare speeding motorists in the act.

Asked if roadside sobriety checkpoints were also now being considered as a weapon in the war on drink-driving, National Security Minister Michael Dunkley confirmed that he had discussed the issue “quite extensively” with Mr Crockwell.

“We acknowledge the serious drink driving issue we have and in conjunction with the Minister of Tourism and Transport, we are in the process of communicating with the police with the view of forging a way forward to address the matter,” Mr Dunkley said on Thursday.

Currently police can only pull over motorists if they witness evidence that they are impaired. But checkpoints would enable officers to stop drivers at random and order them to take a breathalyser test.

Explaining how the initiative could work in Bermuda, Mr Santucci said that CADA has looked at best practices and found that countries such as Ireland, Australia and all European Union countries with the exception of the UK, had now adopted the practice.

He said that, before a checkpoint was set up, “a well publicised awareness campaign” would be launched in order to let motorists know when they could be stopped.

“The police will set up the checkpoint and decide beforehand that they will stop every nth car,” Mr Santucci said.

“They can decide to stop every tenth car or every 20th car. Whatever their decision is, each car that falls onto that number will be stopped. This is called non-selective testing because it is an entirely unbiased process with no room for profiling.

“Once the checkpoint is set up the driver of every nth vehicle is stopped and the roadside breath test is administered. If the motorist is not over the legal limit of alcohol, within a few minutes they are free to continue on their journey. We like to say ‘You’re Stopped, You Blow, If You’re Good, You Go’.

“However, if the roadside breath test shows at or above a threshold level of alcohol, the person is transported to the police station or to the police command vehicle for the fully calibrated alcohol breathalyser machine test.”

Last night Mr Santucci said CADA was encouraged and cautiously optimistic on hearing that Government is in talks with police.

He added: “When sobriety check points have been used in other jurisdictions and the public have been given ample notice that the checks will take place there has been a significant reduction in the number of alcohol related road collisions and fatalities. CADA especially supports their use at particular key times, such as evenings, weekends and holidays.”