NEWS RELEASE From Release Reference Date Richard Owen Under embargo until 0000 Wednesday 16 th December GB Drink Drive Trends 2015 Tuesday, 15 th December 2015 GB Drink Drive Trends Revealed New study highlights local differences in drink driving To support the national drink drive campaign that is currently being run by the Department for Transport and police forces, Road Safety Analysis have undertaken a unique analysis of car drivers who were under the influence of alcohol at the time of a crash. The trends show clear regional differences and highlights to problem of drink driving in rural areas. The analysis of over half a million car drivers involved in police attended injury collisions between 2010 and 2014 reveals that 2.7% of drivers were considered drunk at the time of the crash. Car drivers who live in rural areas were 22% more likely to be impaired by alcohol than car drivers in general, highlighting the problem of drinking and driving in our countryside. The figures were further broken down by police force area which showed that relative to population size, drivers from Lincolnshire were 71% more likely to be considered over the limit than the national norm. Car drivers from London were the least likely with a risk rate 63% lower than the average. Nationally the percentage of crash involved car drivers who were intoxicated by alcohol has been declining from 3.1% in 2016 to 2.5% in 2014. Despite the concentration of effort in December however, it is May that sees the greatest percentage of drunk drivers. Key Messages The vast majority of British drivers are responsible and wouldn t think twice about drinking and driving, and careful planning ahead in the party season means we are more likely to get a taxi home or share a lift. In rural areas this is much harder with the costs of getting home safely much more expensive than in our towns. Drivers are urged to plan ahead at all times of the year and to have none for the road, reducing the temptation to have an extra drink when you have already started. Notes to Editor An interactive map showing the figures by police force is available by clicking on the following link: http://bit.ly/1ird7rz
Interviews Richard Owen will be available for pre-recorded interviews between 0900hrs 1200hrs and 1600hrs and 1800hrs on Tuesday 15 th December 2015 Richard Owen will be available for live interviews on the morning of Wednesday 16 th December Local Breakdown Reporting Force Annual rate compared to GB Lincolnshire Police +71% Warwickshire Police +66% Devon and Cornwall Constabulary +53% Surrey Police +51% Humberside Police +43% Kent Police +42% Staffordshire Police +42% South Wales Police +40% Durham Constabulary +40% Dyfed-Powys Police +30% Thames Valley Police +29% West Mercia Police +29% Wiltshire Police +26% Cheshire Constabulary +25% Bedfordshire Police +25% Sussex Police +21% Lancashire Constabulary +16% Leicestershire Constabulary +15% Essex Police +15% Nottinghamshire Police +15% Cambridgeshire Constabulary +14% South Yorkshire Police +13% Dorset Police +11% Derbyshire Constabulary +10% North Yorkshire Police +10% West Midlands Police +9% Dumfries and Galloway Constabulary +7% Grampian Police +7% Suffolk Constabulary +6% Norfolk Constabulary +6% Avon and Somerset Constabulary +2% Hertfordshire Constabulary +2% Hampshire Constabulary -0% Cumbria Constabulary -1% Gloucestershire Constabulary -1%
Northumbria Police -9% Northern Constabulary -11% West Yorkshire Police -13% Tayside Police -19% Strathclyde Police -20% Northamptonshire Police -21% Merseyside Police -22% Fife Constabulary -22% Greater Manchester Police -25% Cleveland Police -33% Central Scotland Police -33% North Wales Police (SEE NOTE) -34% Gwent Police -42% Lothian and Borders Police -54% Metropolitan Police -63% NOTE: North Wales Police have not reported driver postcodes for 2013 and 2014; consequently, identification of residency and rurality for drivers in this area is incomplete Since some data predates the establishment of Police Scotland, areas corresponding to the former Scottish police forces have been used More Information Annual Breakdown Year Not Drunk* Drunk* Total Percentage Drunk* 2006 202,048 6,554 208,602 3.1% 2007 193,364 6,221 199,585 3.1% 2008 179,601 5,720 185,321 3.1% 2009 174,935 5,385 180,320 3.0% 2010 164,520 4,466 168,986 2.6% 2011 158,107 4,504 162,611 2.8% 2012 153,773 4,163 157,936 2.6% 2013 144,499 3,877 148,376 2.6% 2014 153,416 3,876 157,292 2.5% *Car driver attributed CF 501 Impaired by Alcohol
Monthly Breakdown Month % Drivers Attributed CF501 Jan 2.71% Feb 2.95% Mar 2.92% Apr 3.03% May 3.06% Jun 2.86% Jul 2.74% Aug 3.04% Sep 2.69% Oct 2.77% Nov 2.75% Dec 2.78% How the results were calculated The information was sourced from the Department for Transport STATS19 database of reported injury collisions between 2010 and 2014. This information is analysed and housed in the MAST Online analysis tool used by the GB road safety profession. Population data is derived from the ONS 2012 mid-year estimates. The analysis uses counts of cars involved in crashes where the contributory factor CF501 Driver Impaired by Drink was assigned by the attending police officer. This was then compared to all drivers of cars where CF501 was not attributed. In order to calculate a population based rate the ONS data for residents of each police force area was used together with the home postcode of the driver. This results in a drivers from calculation, rather than a crashes in measure. Figures for individual police forces compare how frequently that force records car drivers who reside in their own area as impaired by alcohol, compared to the national rate.
Contact details: Richard Owen from Road Safety Analysis is available to talk more about the project Richard Owen +44 (0)1295 731815 +44 (0)7977 122420 richard@roadsafetyanalysis.org About Road Safety Analysis Road Safety Analysis (RSA) is a not-for-profit company that exists to provide data solutions to the public and road safety profession. Now established as a market leader in the provision of road safety services including the award winning Safer Roads, Berkshire and MAST Online projects. For more information visit www.roadsafetyanalysis.org