Calls for action as drink-drive deaths increase

The number of people killed in drink-drive-related incidents rosein2016,accordingtoprovisional figures from the Department for Transport (DfT).

Final figures for 2016 will notbepublisheduntillaterthis year but the provisional statistics gathered by the Government suggest a significant rise in the number of both fatalities and serious injuries linked to drink-driving.

The figures have prompted calls for the Government and police to do more to tackle the problemandforthedrink-drive limitinEnglandandWalestobe reduced.

Accordingtotheprovisional DfT figures around 240 people died in incidents in Great Britain where at least one driver was over the drink-drive limit. That is a 20 per cent increase on the 200 fatalities in 2015 and represents 13 per cent of all deaths on Britain’s roads.

The total number of people killed or injured in such incidents also rose by what the DfT calls a “statistically significant” number – from 8,470 in 2015 to 9,050. That is a seven per cent increase overall and if it holds to be correct when the final estimatesarereleasedinAugustit will represent the highest level ofdrink-drivenon-fatalcasualties since 2012.

Road safety campaigners have called for the police to be given more resources to tackle the problem and for clearer education.

RACroadsafetyspokesman PeteWilliamssaid:“Thepicture that emerges from the latest drink-drive statistics is a disturbing one. At best, progress in reducing fatal crashes continues to stall, and at worse there has been an increase for the first time since 2009.

“We are under no illusion about the scale of the challenge when it comes to ending the menace of drink-drivers. But despite this, we call on the Government to make it crystal clear to drink-drive offenders that enough is enough.

“Weneedmorecommunicationonexactlywhatthecurrent strategy is for tackling a crime which can have such devastating consequences.

“The police also need to have the resources they need to robustly enforce the law and make our roads a safer place – the sharp fall in dedicated roads policing officers we have witnessed in recent years has surely not helped.”

Neil Greig, IAM RoadSmart directorofpolicyandresearch, added:“[The]figuresarehugely disappointing. We need more targetedpolicingandalotmore driver education regarding drinking and driving.

“We suggest a two-pronged attack: firstly, continued education and a lower limit for the lawabidingmajoritywhomight stray or who don’t yet understand the risk, and secondly, getting the police to be more up front about what targeted enforcement actually means as they seek to catch those selfish enough to ignore the current limit.”