December is busy period for drink drive stops, research reveals
Drivers in Shropshire, Herefordshire and Worcestershire are being warned they are more likely to be breath tested in December than other months.
Analysis of Home Office data by AlcoSense Breathalysers showed that in December last year, West Mercia Police stopped 1,091 motorists suspected of drink driving.
That compares with 710 breath tests in February.
Fifteen per cent of motorists in the West Mercia area tested last December were found to be over the limit – a total of 169 drivers.
“We might be going to fewer Christmas parties this year, but several studies show that people have been drinking more alcohol during lockdown,” said Hunter Abbott, MD of AlcoSense Laboratories.
“This increase has been driven by job uncertainty and pandemic anxiety, fuelled by the rise in at-home drinking where measures are more generous than a pub or restaurant.
“This trend makes it more likely that people may get behind the wheel and drive with alcohol still in their system the next morning. Even a small amount of alcohol slows reaction time, inhibits judgement and reduces concentration – increasing the likelihood of accidents.
“One in five drink drive convictions are in the morning. A personal breathalyser takes the guesswork out of knowing when alcohol has cleared the morning after the night before."
West Mercia Police carried out 12,032 roadside breath tests throughout 2019 – of which 1,357 were either positive or refused.
Nationally there were 8,860 injuries last year due to a driver being over the limit, including 240 deaths.
