Skip to main content

Police action reveals drink driving issue in Europe

Pan-European moves to tackle drink driving reveal that many still take to the wheel while over the limit for alcohol. The results from week-long operation to address drink driving run in June show that there were 16,497 alcohol offences from 1,104,879 breath tests in 26 countries. One in 66 drivers tested was over the limit in this year’s operation, compared with one in 63 last year and one in 59 in 2013. In addition, 2,752 drug offences were recorded, while over 2,516 other crimes were also detected during
July 27, 2015 Read time: 2 mins
Pan-European moves to tackle drink driving reveal that many still take to the wheel while over the limit for alcohol. The results from week-long operation to address drink driving run in June show that there were 16,497 alcohol offences from 1,104,879 breath tests in 26 countries. One in 66 drivers tested was over the limit in this year’s operation, compared with one in 63 last year and one in 59 in 2013. In addition, 2,752 drug offences were recorded, while over 2,516 other crimes were also detected during alcohol tests. 4753 TISPOL drink-drive enforcement operation saw 1,104,879 roadside breath tests being carried out.

TISPOL President Aidan Reid said, “These figures show that there are still people who think it’s acceptable to drink and drive. “Our message is clear. Don’t do it. Officers across Europe will continue to target drink-drivers all year round, so if you choose to take a risk by driving after drinking alcohol, then we will find you and bring you to justice because we will not tolerate the risk you pose to yourself and to other innocent road users who may be in your way.”

Like-for-like figures from 2014 show 18,391 offences from 1,168,631 breath tests and for 2013 the figures show 14,557 offences from 869,473 breath tests. Stopping drivers to check for alcohol and drug offences also provides police officers with the opportunity to make other appropriate safety and security checks. For example, during the week of this operation, officers also detected and dealt with offences connected with illegal immigration and human trafficking (116), drug-related crimes (598), firearms crimes (49), property crimes (136), wanted persons (181), and 1,436 other crimes.

Research shows that those involved in criminal activity are more likely to carry out driving offences.

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • Europe’s road safety is not improving as previously
    April 3, 2012
    The latest official figures on road safety in Europe are giving cause for concern, with data showing casualty reduction has slowed. EU Transport Commissioner Siim Kallas recently announced a disappointing progress on casualty reduction on Europe's roads. The joint European police association, TISPOL, has added that it is also concerned that improvements in cutting fatalities on Europe’s roads significantly slowed in 2011.
  • UK traffic offence convictions increase
    May 10, 2018
    Official UK Government figures reveal that convictions for traffic offences in England and Wales have been steadily increasing since 2013. Of concern is that there has been a 52% increase in convictions for dangerous driving in that period. There were guilty verdicts for 1.2 million traffic offences in 2006, according to an analysis of the data by IAM RoadSmart. The number of guilty verdicts for traffic offences then declined for seven years until 2014 when the total number of offences started rising again
  • UK: vehicle overloading convictions down but problem persists
    March 9, 2015
    Overloading of vehicles in the United Kingdom continues to be a serious issue, according to data from the government’s Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) and Vehicle and Operator Services Agency (VOSA). The report, Annual Effectiveness 2013/2014, documents data on driving offences for heavy and light goods vehicles, public service vehicles and trailers. The number of convictions for overloading heavy goods vehicles (HGVs) was 147, down from 231 in 2012/13 and 166 a year earlier. But overloading rema
  • Ambitious drunk driving prevention research moves forward
    February 29, 2012
    America's national research effort to develop publicly-acceptable technology that will prevent the illegal operation of a vehicle by a drunk driver (0.08 or above blood alcohol content) is entering a new phase in which it will move out of the laboratory and onto the road with a drivable test vehicle expected to be ready in two years.