The number of deaths caused by drink driving has fallen by 14% year on year, with the Department for Transport (DfT) also reporting an overall fall in the number of people killed or seriously injured on UK roads.
The DfT report considers data from 2023 and shows that, while overall fatalities are down, the number of deaths due to drug-driving are up 38%.
In recent history, the percentage of road deaths where drink-driving has been a factor has varied from 12% to 18%. The data from 2023 estimates 260 fatalities from drink-driving, accounting for 16%. The South East of England accounted for a fifth of all drink drive casualties, with the North East recording the fewest.
Male drivers caused more drink-related injuries than women, by an overwhelming majority (81%).
The report has prompted several road charities and associations to call for greater driver education and additional measures to be brought in.
