Previous
Christmas sees fewer drink drivers take to the streets
Added: (Tue Jan 29 2008)
Fewer car and van insurance holders may have been caught drink driving over the recent Christmas and new year period, as police have reported a drop in those found to be over the limit at the wheel.
According to figures from the Association of Chief Police Officers (Acpo), police conducted about 10,000 more breath tests over the recent festive season than they did the previous year, but of the 155,000 tests conducted, only 7,800 were positive.
This compares with the 9,700 people caught drink driving over the same period the year before.
Nottinghamshire Chief Constable and Acpo head of roads policing Steve Green commented that it was "encouraging" to see an increase in tests taken and a reduction in the number of people found to be over the limit.
"It indicates that increased enforcement and a hard-hitting campaign may be starting to have an impact," he stated.
Meanwhile, road safety minister Jim Fitzpatrick said: "This sends out a powerful message to anyone thinking of drink driving - you are in a dwindling minority and have an increasingly high chance of being caught."
The chief constable added that there was no significant difference between the breath test failure rates of young and older drivers, who are generally thought to be less likely to be involved in traffic incidents than their younger counterparts.
However, figures have also been released recently by the RAC Foundation, showing that many people got into vehicles with drivers who were drunk over the festive season even though they knew they were over the limit.
Searching for an online van insurance rate? visit http://www.comparethemarket.com/