Drink-drive accidents injuring or killing two people a day

TWO people a day in the East Midlands are injured or killed in a drink-drive road accident, the highest proportion since 2012.

New data shows 780 people in our region were hurt in reported road accidents in 2016 where at least one driver or motorcycle rider was over the legal alcohol level.

This represents 5.9 per cent of all of the 13,228 road casualties during the year - the highest proportion in the last four years.

Roughly 20 of the 780 victims were killed, while around 90 were seriously injured.

The figures are rounded to the nearest five to protect anonymity.

The data - published by the Department for Transport today - shows the situation has worsened since 2013, when 4.5 per cent of all casualties were involved in accidents where a driver or rider was over the limit.

The Department of Transport estimates that across Great Britain, 9,040 people were killed or injured in drink-drive car accidents in 2016, up from 8,480 in 2015.

This is the highest number since 2012 and represents five per cent of the total 181,384 cas- ualties in reported road accidents in 2016.

Some 230 of the drink-drive victims were killed and 1,250 were seriously injured.

Joshua Harris, director of campaigns at road safety charity Brake, said: “How many more lives must be needlessly lost before the government acts on drink-driving?

“Today’s figures show that drink-driving is an increasing blight on British roads and yet the government sits on its hands and refuses to address the issue.

“The government should put its money where its mouth is and align the law with the message from its ‘Think!’ campaign. Only this zero-tolerance approach can create the change required”