Drink driving figures prompt calls for new measures
New figures have revealed the extent of drink driving in the UK, with 27,837 people convicted of the offense more than once over the 11 years leading up to 20 July.
A freedom of information (FOI) request by the Press Association also revealed that four drivers had been prosecuted seven times for driving over the limit, while the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) found that that 372 drivers were caught at least four times over the limit.
In light of this data, the RAC has now joined forces with road safety groups to call for breathalysers to be fitted to vehicles of reoffenders.
Alcolocks are devices installed in vehicles that require the driver to provide a breath sample before the engine can be started. The engine will not start if the device detects a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) above the legal limit.
Drink driving
RAC road safety spokesman Rod Dennis said: “It’s chilling to see a proportion of the driving public remain intent on taking charge of a car while intoxicated, even after they’ve already been caught by the police on at least one occasion.
“The rate of fatalities caused by people drinking and driving is now at a similar level to where it was in the late 1980s, so it’s clear something needs to change. Drivers need to be prevented from drinking and driving in the first place, so there’s a good argument for mandating alcolocks be fitted to vehicles driven by anyone previously convicted.”
The Department for Transport (DfT) has reported that around 300 people lost their lives in road accidents in Britain in 2022 involving at least one driver above the legal alcohol limit.
This is up from the 260 fatalities recorded in similar circumstances in 2021 and represents the highest number since 2009,
