An operation targeting road users under the influence of alcohol has been extended due to the alarming number of people who have been charged with drink driving offences since 24 December 2010.

Operation Octopus has been extended beyond the initial three weekends originally intended in an attempt to raise awareness in the community that this problem is a significant one and will not be tolerated.

Last year alone almost 10,000 people were charged with drink driving offences.

Police Commissioner Karl O’Callaghan APM said: "We simply have to stamp out the culture of drink driving. It is unacceptable, it is dangerous and we know that many more than 30 percent of all our fatal crashes on roads in Western Australia are the result or can be attributed to drink driving."

Click here to view what else the Commissioner had to say about the issue.

Results of the Christmas Road Safety Campaign and the first weekend of Operation Octopus can be read here.

For more information about keeping safe on our roads go to the Office of Road Safety website.