Breath test 50th anniversary

It is now 50 years since the breathalyser testing system to check for alcohol use was introduced in the UK. Police carried out the first roadside breath test on a motorist in Shropshire on the 8th October 1967. The breath testing for alcohol has had a major benefit for UK road safety as in 1967 there were 1,640 road fatalities attributed to alcohol, almost as many road deaths as there were in total in the UK last year. The push to make drink driving regarded as dangerous, anti-social behaviour has had a maj
October 6, 2017 Read time: 2 mins
It is now 50 years since the breathalyser testing system to check for alcohol use was introduced in the UK. Police carried out the first roadside breath test on a motorist in Shropshire on the 8th October 1967. The breath testing for alcohol has had a major benefit for UK road safety as in 1967 there were 1,640 road fatalities attributed to alcohol, almost as many road deaths as there were in total in the UK last year. The push to make drink driving regarded as dangerous, anti-social behaviour has had a major effect and road deaths from drink driving are now around 12.5% of what they were in 1967. It is worth noting that road deaths overall have fallen dramatically, despite a massive increase in car ownership.


Previous methods for testing for alcohol use before the breathalyser involved officers using such scientific methods as asking drivers to stand on one leg, walking in a straight line or touching their noses with their eyes closed.

However road deaths from drink driving do still occur and accounted for around 200 fatalities last year, according to the 5432 Department for Transport (DfT).  

Final figures for 2015 show a 9% increase in the number of seriously injured casualties - from 1,070 in 2014 to 1,170 - the first rise since 2011. Worryingly, the total number of casualties in drink drive accidents for 2015 was 8,470 – up 3% on the previous year.

Police carried out over half a million (520,219) roadside breath tests in 2015, the lowest number since data collection began in 2002.  More than 60,000 drivers (one in eight of those tested) failed or refused to take the test.

Men were twice as likely as women to fail a breath test, a trend that was consistent across all age groups according to the DfT.

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • UK police to start using drug testing kits on drivers
    January 8, 2013
    In the UK police are finally to be issued with a new drug testing kit. This development follows trials of testing technology able to detect the presence of illegal drugs using samples from drivers. The kit that has been approved by the UK authorities can analyse a mouth swab for traces of cannabis. Systems capable of determining the presence of other drugs are in development at present. This new kit for checking on the presence of cannabis will be used at police stations, and does away with the need to have
    Read More
  • Worrying crash statistics
    April 24, 2012
    Official statistics available for the UK collated by the police show that during the 12 years to 2011, there were over 3,000,000 road casualties in Great Britain. During this 12 year period over 36,000 people died while a further 373,985 were seriously injured.
    Read More
  • A future UK government should focus more on potholes and road safety
    April 10, 2015
    With a national UK election looming next month, a future government must make road safety a top priority, said the Institute of Advanced Motorists (IAM). Half of motorists in a recent survey of 2,156 people, and conducted IAM in March, said the current administration has not given the issue as much attention as is needed. The number one issue that the government should be focussing on, according to 70% of respondents, is the reduction of the number of potholes. The backlog of repairs now tops more
    Read More
  • Digital cameras and VMS improve London and Scottish road safety
    March 18, 2016
    London and Scotland are using VMS and digital cameras to successfully lower road deaths. Road safety measures such as variable message signs (VMS) and digital cameras have boosted road safety in the UK capital London and also in the Scottish Highlands. And the systems need not be a drain on electricity supplies. Full matrix driver information signs from SWARCO Traffic, one of the UK’s leading traffic management technology providers, are being installed for the first time across the Transport for London (TfL
    Read More

Highlighted Content