Brake reacts to latest drink driving figures

Posted: January 22, 2013

Posted in: Road Traffic Accidents 

Road safety charity Brake has welcomed police efforts to catch drunk drivers over the Christmas period, but renewed its calls for more action from the government and public to stamp out this deadly menace.

The latest statistics from the Association of Chief Police Officers show that 7,123 drivers were caught risking lives by driving over the limit during the month-long enforcement campaign across England and Wales, approximately the same as the number as last year.

Brake is urging the government to give greater priority to traffic policing and stem damaging reductions in this vital area of frontline policing. Brake is also renewing calls for a zero tolerance drink drive limit of 20mg, given evidence that lower limits mean fewer devastating casualties.

In 2011, one in seven road traffic accident deaths in Great Britain involved drink drivers over the current 80mg limit. Around 280 deaths and 1,290 serious injuries occurred when someone was over the drink drive limit. Many more drink-drive crashes are caused by drivers who only have small amounts of alcohol in their blood.

A further estimated 65 deaths per year are caused by drivers who are under the drink-drive limit, but who have a significant amount of alcohol in their blood over 50mg.

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