Drink and drive accidents fall by 5%

The Department for Transport has published provisional statistics on road accidents reported to police involving drinking and driving in Great Britain in 2009, according to the arrangements approved by the UK Statistics Authority. The figures also include final estimates for 2008. Figures show that:

•Fatalities resulting from drink and drive accidents fell by 5 per cent from 400 in 2008 to 380 in 2009, whilst seriously injured casualties fell by 9 per cent from 1, 620 to 1,480. Slight casualties resulting from drink drive accidents fell by 8 per cent from 10,960 to 10,130. Total casualties fell by 8 per cent from 12,990 to 11,990.

•Fatal accidents remained unchanged from 2008, remaining at 350 for the second year in a row. Overall drink and drive accidents fell by 7 per cent from 8,620 to 8,050. 

The full report is available here

Welcoming this, RoadSafe member RoSPA says: The North Review also concluded that the drug-driving problem was “out of all proportion” to the official figures. This is partly because it is often difficult to test for drug use, meaning many cases go unrecorded.