The number of deaths occurring on Britain\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s roads as a result of drink-driving has soared by 26% according to recent provisional figures.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
In a document published in 2013 it has been revealed that 290 people were killed on Britain\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s roads as a result of drink-driving in 2012, this represents a significant increase on the 230 killed in 2011 according to the Department for Transport (DfT).<\/p>\n
A further 6,680 non-fatal road accidents were also attributed to alcohol consumption.<\/p>\n
Since records started in 1979, when 1,640 drink-drive deaths were recorded, the numbers began to decline reaching an all-time low in 2011.<\/p>\n
Mounting concerns<\/p>\n
However, in 2012 the number of deaths connected to drink-driving surged by 26%, but the DfT did state that this percentage is still 25% down on figures in 2009 (when 380 deaths occurred). Furthermore, it was 40% lower than the average figures between 2005 and 2009.<\/p>\n
In 2012, 1,210 people involved in drink-drive related road accidents suffered a serious injury and a further 8,500 suffered minor scrapes.<\/p>\n
Among those killed in drink-drive collisions 68% of car drivers, motorcyclists and cyclists were over the legal alcohol limit.<\/p>\n
Other victims were road users involved in an incident, but not necessarily in violation of the legal alcohol limit themselves.<\/p>\n
In light of the 2012 figures the Head of Road Safety for the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (Rospa), Kevin Clinton, called for a reduced drink-drive limit and more stringent enforcement of current laws.<\/p>\n
In a statement he said: \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Often it is an innocent person who suffers, not just the driver who was over the drink-drive limit.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n
In a statement from David Bizley, of the RAC motoring organisation, he said: \u00e2\u20ac\u0153These figures are a cause for concern. Clearly more needs to be done to ensure that the anti drink-driving message pioneered by the Government’s THINK! campaign really sticks with motorists up and down the country.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n
It\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s understood that the DfT extracted the provisional figures from a series of coroners\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 reports, with official figures expected to be released in 2014.<\/p>\n
Much emphasis has been placed on the fact that the data is only provisional; in 2011 the provisional data released regarding drink-driving fatalities was over-estimated.<\/p>\n
In addition to drink-driving fatalities the DfT also released provisional statistics for all kinds of road accidents that occurred between January and March 2013.<\/p>\n
Still in its infancy the data reads as follows:<\/p>\n
* 340 people were killed in reported road accidents – 18% down on the same period in 2012<\/p>\n
* Serious injuries saw a 19% drop, and slight injuries fell by 14%<\/p>\n
* Motorcyclist, cyclist and pedestrian deaths and serious injuries fell sharply<\/p>\n
The DfT attributes the decline in accidents to cold weather.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The number of deaths occurring on Britain\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s roads as a result of drink-driving has soared by 26% according to recent provisional figures.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[9,72,73],"tags":[95,98,96,97,100,99],"yoast_head":"\n