30 Jul 2015
Anti-Drink and Drug Driving message starting to get through to under-25s
National figures, published today (July 30), showed that, although levels of drink-driving have risen slightly in the last year, the traditionally higher-offending under-25 year old demographic has started to learn the lesson, with offending rates down marginally by 1.5%
Responding to the figures, National Police Chiefs’ Council lead for roads policing, Chief Constable Suzette Davenport, said:
“I am pleased to see that 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 two per cent in offending on last year.
“It is frustrating that over 5000 people in England, Wales and Northern Ireland continued to ignore the common-sense advice not to drink and drive – an increase of nearly a thousand exceeding the limit/ failing to provide, on last year’s figures despite fewer tests overall being administered.
“Officers are on the alert all year round using targeted efforts to keep our roads safer. I urge everyone planning to go out and enjoy themselves to never ever drive under the influence, whether that night or the following morning.”
The NPCC is waiting for feedback from forces on how they are progressing with new roadside drug-testing equipment so that we can publish more detailed results on drug driving in the future.
ENDS
Further information
- All forces in England, Wales and Northern Ireland participated in the national summer drink and drug driving campaign, which ran from June 1 to June 30. Police Scotland does not participate.
- We are aware that, at first glance, the figure for total breath tests administered does not tally with the figure generated by adding together the figures for breath tests administered not involving collisions and those administered following collisions. The same is true for tallying the number of breath tests administered to under-25s and those for tests administered to over-25s. This is a result of variations in some forces’ methods of collecting and returning data. The overall totals are, nevertheless, accurate.
- Summer 2015 figures as follows:
|
HEADLINE RESULTS |
|
|
Total number of vehicles stopped |
70,796 |
|
Total breath tests administered |
60,096 |
|
Total of those that were positive, refused or failed |
5,085 |
|
% of total tested that were positive, failed or refused |
8.46% |
|
Total breath tests administered NOT involving collisions |
42,007 |
|
Total of those that were positive, refused or failed |
2,708 |
|
% of total tested that were positive, failed or refused |
6.44% |
|
Total breath tests administered FOLLOWING collisions |
12,259 |
|
Total of those that were positive, refused or failed |
906 |
|
% of total tested that were positive, failed or refused |
7.39% |
|
Total number of breath tests administered to UNDER 25s |
11,419 |
|
Total of those that were positive, refused or failed |
682 |
|
% of total tested that were positive, failed or refused |
5.97% |
|
Total number of breath tests administered to 25 YEARS AND OVER |
39,407 |
|
Total of those that were positive, refused or failed |
2,593 |
|
% of total tested that were positive, failed or refused |
6.58% |
|
Total number of Drug FIELD IMPAIRMENT TESTS conducted |
574 |
Comparative figures from 2012-14 as follows:
|
|
2012 |
2013 2014 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total breath tests administered NOT involving collisions |
68109 |
86259 |
50491 |
|
Total of those that were positive, refused or failed |
3540 |
3893 |
2929 |
|
% of total tested that were positive, failed or refused |
5.20 |
4.51 |
5.80 |
|
Total breath tests administered FOLLOWING collisions |
15115 |
14633 |
13197 |
|
Total of those that were positive, refused or failed |
1317 |
1277 |
1179 |
|
% of total tested that were positive, failed or refused |
8.71 |
8.73 |
8.93 |
|
Total number of collisions recorded |
21057 |
22708 |
21577 |
|
Total number of breath tests administered to UNDER 25s |
19714 |
19757 |
12829 |
|
Total of those that were positive, refused or failed |
1327 |
1290 |
962 |
|
% of total tested that were positive, failed or refused |
6.73 |
6.53 |
7.50 |
|
Total number of breath tests administered to 25 YEARS AND OVER |
61406 |
69985 |
50622 |
|
Total of those that were positive, refused or failed |
3388 |
3647 |
2820 |
|
% of total tested that were positive, failed or refused |
5.52 |
5.21 |
5.57 |
|
Total number of FIELD IMPAIRMENT TESTS conducted |
284 |
291 |
203 |
|
Total of those that resulted in a Section 4 arrest |
63 |
59 |
66 |
|
% of total tested that resulted in a Section 4 arrest |
22.18 |
20.27 |
32.51 |
|
Total number of Sec 4 arrests NOT following a FIT test |
432 |
432 |
928 |
|
Total number of Sec 4 arrests following a collision |
116 |
120 |
294 |
|
TOTAL BREATH TESTS ADMINISTERED |
83224 |
100892 |
63688 |
|
TOTAL OF THOSE THAT WERE POSITIVE, FAILED OR REFUSED |
4857 |
5170 |
4108 |
|
% OF TOTAL TESTED THAT WERE POSITIVE, FAILED OR REFUSED |
5.84 |
5.12 |
6.45 |
Contact information
Communications office
By phone: 0800 538 5058
By email: press.office@npcc.police.uk