Drink-drive fatalities up and rate returns to late 1980s level - RAC comment

Following the publication of new government drink and drug-driving casualty figures out today, RAC road safety spokesperson Rod Dennis said:

“While the number of people killed by drink-drivers is still thankfully far lower now compared to the final decades of the 20th century, the fact we’re back to a similar rate of fatalities caused by people drinking and driving as we were in the late 1980s is abhorrent. It’s abundantly clear that a hard core of people, especially men, continue to put the lives of all road users at risk by choosing to get behind the wheel after consuming too much alcohol. This is the case across the UK, including in Scotland which has had a lower blood alcohol limit than in England and Wales since 2014.

“The UK might have an enviable record on road safety compared to many other countries, but there’s no getting away from the fact that overall casualty numbers aren’t really decreasing anymore. We urge the Government to work closely and collaboratively with experts to put in place a clear action plan for reducing these terrible statistics going forward. Every life lost on our roads is one too many.

“The data for Scotland suggests merely reducing the legal drink-drive limit isn’t enough. Drivers need to be prevented from being able to drink and drive in the first place, or at least believe there’s a very good chance of being caught. Data suggests a significant number of drink-drive offences are committed by reoffenders, so there’s a good case for fitting alcolocks which stop someone over the limit from starting a car. But there’s also a very strong argument for an increase in enforcement, something that will always be a challenge for as long as police resources are tight.

“We’re also pleased to see data on drug-driving is now being collected, as recommended by PACTS. Again, initial figures suggest the situation is getting worse but as the Department for Transport has noted there is more work to be done to ensure the data is as robust as possible.”