Drink drive deaths at lowest level since records began

Statistics show that an estimated 230 people were killed in drink-driving accidents in 2012, a 4% drop since the previous year, and an 86% fall since detailed records began in 1979.

Following a sharp drop in drink-drive deaths between 2009 and 2010 (a fall of around 40%), the number has consistently been between 230 and 240 since 2010.

A further 1,200 were seriously injured following a drink-drive incident in 2012, a 5.5% decrease since 2011, while 8,510 received slight injuries, representing a 1% increase.

Accidents​

In total there were 6,630 drink-drive accidents in 2012, leading to 9,930 casualties over the year – 5% of all reported road casualties.

Drink-drive accidents accounted for around 13% of total road deaths and 6% of killed or seriously injured casualties in 2012. Of the 920 drivers and riders killed in 2012, an estimated 18% were over the legal alcohol limit.

In addition, the number of alcohol-related road accidents has fallen faster than the total number of road accidents. In 1979 alcohol-related road accidents accounted for around a quarter of all road accidents, a figure which now stands at 13%.