Drink driving problem increases

The drink driving problem has increased in the UK.
By MJ Woof February 24, 2021 Read time: 2 mins
The UK has seen an increase in drink driving – image © courtesy of Mike Woof
There is concern amongst bodies dealing with road safety in the UK over data showing an increase in deaths relating to drink driving. According to preliminary government data, there were an estimated 280 deaths from drink driving in 2019, an increase of 40 from the previous year. This is the highest rate of death from drink driving in the UK for 10 years.

According to the adjusted central estimate for drink-drive casualties in 2019, 2,110 people died or suffered serious injuries in crashes in which at least one driver was over the limit for alcohol. This represents a jump of 11% compared to the figures for 2018 and is also the highest figure recorded since 2011.
 
The data was provided by the UK's Department for Transport (DfT).

Road safety groups such as Brake are now calling for the legal blood alcohol limit to be reduced for England and Wales from the current 80mg alcohol/100ml blood to 50mg/100ml blood used in Scotland since December 2014. The change to this lower level brought Scotland into line with permitted blood alcohol limits for the rest of Europe.
 
Drink driving used to be a far greater problem on UK roads as well as in all other developed nations. A combination of tough enforcement and penalties as well as public education have all helped reduce the incidence of drink driving, which is now widely considered as anti social behaviour. Road deaths from drink driving were first separated from road fatalities caused by other factors back in 1979. At that time, the annual road fatality rate from drink driving was around six times higher than at present. 
Highway & Network Management

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • Safety rallying call to English councillors after road death rise
    July 9, 2012
    English councils have been urged to protect the public on the roads by “whatever means is appropriate” after the first rise in road deaths in the country for eight years. Professor Stephen Glaister, director of the RAC Foundation, said data obtained by the Foundation under the Freedom of Information Act (FOI) showed there had been “no mass switch off” of speed cameras in England despite two years of Government road safety funding cuts. But Glaister fears an ageing national network of existing speed camera
    Read More
  • Road savvy WIM prolongs highways and saves nations vital cash
    May 28, 2013
    A leading WIM system manufacturer is playing a key role in efforts to reduce the number of overloaded trucks costing developing economies around the world billions of dollars in accidents and damage to roads, while another company has won a major contract in South America. Guy Woodford reports. The prevalence of overloaded trucks on the road networks of developing countries and the accidents and structural damage they cause wastes valuable, limited resources in some of the world’s poorest economies, diverti
    Read More
  • Driver distraction poses safety challenge
    June 5, 2015
    The modern automobile offers massive gains in safety over earlier generation vehicles. Occupant protection levels have been improved due to crash testing regimes that have ensured vehicles will not collapse catastrophically in the event of an impact. Braking systems are more effective and reliable, with ABS preventing skidding in wet weather conditions. The prospect of autonomous vehicles in the near future offer further safety gains to come. But right now, there is a problem. Too much technology is bein
    Read More
  • Congestion and safety concerns over Serbia’s roads
    February 23, 2012
    With traffic flows on the increase, Serbia needs to improve its road network and safety record, reports Gordon Feller. Serbia's road network needs to upgrade its road system against the backdrop of increased traffic flows. Serbia is crossed by segments of the important Trans European network (TEN). Corridor X with its branches Xb (Belgrade-Budapest) Xc (Nis-Sofia), and Xd (Nis-Presevo), represent the most important transit routes in the Republic, connecting Austria/Hungary, Slovenia/Croatia, and Bulgaria/Ma
    Read More

Highlighted Content