Final estimates show there was a small decrease in the number of drink-drive related deaths in Great Britain during 2018.
The figures show between 220 and 260 people were killed in collisions where at least one driver was over the drink-drive limit – leading the DfT to produce a central estimate of 240 deaths.
The final estimate is in line with the provisional estimate published earlier this year.
Looking at year-on-year trends, the figure for 2018 is slightly lower than 2017 – when there were 250 drink-drive fatalities – although the DfT says the fall is not statistically significant.
It is however 20% higher than 2015 – when the central estimate was 200.
In 2018, drink drive related deaths represented approximately 13% of all reported road deaths.
Despite a fall in the number of deaths, there was a year-on-year rise in the total number of people killed or injured in drink drive related collisions in 2018 – up by 1% to 8,680.
There was also a 3% year-on-year rise in the number of crashes involving a drink driver – up to 5,890.
It’s an estimate so the small, not-statistically-significant “decline” should not be taken as an indication of change.
David Davies
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