Drink - Drive Casualties rise

20 August 2012

Reported Road Casualties in Great Britain: 2011 provisional estimates for accidents involving illegal alcohol levels reveals that total casualties resulting from drink drive collisions rose by 3% (from 9,700 to 9,990); the number of fatal drink drive collisions rose by 18%; and overall drink drive collisions rose by 2% (from 6,630 to 6,730).

Fatalities resulting from drink drive collisions represented 15% of all road fatalities in 2011.

The proportion of drivers either failing or refusing to take a breath test following a road collision has remained relatively stable, at 3% between 2010 and 2011.

In 2011, 4% of male drivers failed or refused a breath test, while 2% of female drivers failed or refused.

For male drivers in 2011, 20 – 24 year olds were most likely to fail or refuse a breath test following a collision, at 7%. At 3% this was also the case with female drivers.

In 2011, 54% of drivers involved in road collisions were tested for breath-alcohol levels. This proportion has remained relatively stable across the last three years.