Drink/drug drive offences up – but not among younger drivers

Figures for the 2015 National Police Chief’s Council (NPCC) summer drink drive campaign show a reduction in the number of tests administered, but a 2% increase in the proportion of drivers/riders who tested positive, refused or failed.

The NPCC says this a result of its ‘intelligence-led approach to tackling drink and drug driving’.

During June 2015, 60,096 breath tests were administered, 8.46% (5,085) of which proved positive. The comparable figures for June 2014 were 63,688 breath tests and 4,108 positive tests (6.45%).

Among younger drivers (under 25yrs) the percentage testing positive fell from 7.5% (962) in 2014 to 5.97% (682) this year.

For those aged 25yrs and over, the percentage of positive tests increased from 5.57% in 2014 to 6.57% in 2015.

Chief constable Suzette Davenport, National Police Chiefs’ Council lead for roads policing, said: “Our intelligence-led approach to tackling the problem of drink and drug driving is working with fewer, more concentrated tests bringing to light more offenders.

“The message that driving under the influence of drink and drugs not being worth the risk seems to at last be getting through to under-25s; we’ve seen a proportional reduction of nearly 2% in offending on last year.

“It is frustrating that over 5,000 people in England, Wales and Northern Ireland continued to ignore the common-sense advice not to drink and drive – an increase of nearly 1,000 on last year’s figures, despite fewer tests overall being administered.”  

The NPCC says it is waiting for feedback from police forces on how they are progressing with new roadside drug-testing equipment before it can publish more detailed results on drug driving.