The number of people killed or seriously injured in drink drive incidents jumped by eight per cent in 2019, even though the overall number of casualties fell by 10 per cent.
Data published by the UK government this week showed that there were 2,050 deaths or serious injuries in 2019, with 7,800 casualties overall.
And while there approximately 230 deaths, a two per cent drop on the previous year, fatalities have generally stayed at a consistent level following a major fall from 400 in 2009.
The RAC however argues that more could be done to reduce drink drive deaths further, with new technology now available making it almost impossible for drink drivers to even turn on their engine.
“This is a rather chilling reminder that in the region of 250 people are killed by drink-drivers on Great Britain’s roads every year, a figure that’s barely fallen since 2010,” said Nicholas Lyes, RAC head of policy.
“Clearly much more needs to be done, and one area we’d like to see progress in is around cutting reoffending. A report by the Parliamentary Advisory Council for Transport Safety found that nearly one-in-five drink drive offences are carried out by repeat offenders, something that could be tackled with the introduction of alcohol interlocks.”
Another argument is that there needs to be more breathalyser tests conducted by the police, with the number falling dramatically in the last ten years.
“The fact that testing is at its lowest level on record should be ringing alarm bells. Police carried out just 285,380 roadside breath tests in England and Wales in 2019 – less than half the number in 2008,” said Hunter Abbott, managing director of AlcoSense, a person breathalyser solution.
“All convicted drink drivers in Northern Ireland are now automatically referred to a rehabilitation course – to educate them on the potential consequences of their actions. This should be introduced in the rest of the UK as soon as possible.”