Drivers in Wales are up to six times more likely to be breath tested in December than other months.
Analysis of Home Office data by AlcoSense Breathalysers shows that in December last year, 7,345 motorists were stopped by Police across Wales on suspicion of drink driving.
North Wales led the way with 3,964 tests – far higher than any Police force in England. Second on the list was Northamptonshire with 2,957 tests.
South Wales Police conducted 1,567 breath tests, followed by Gwent (1,029) and Dyfed-Powys (785).
A total of 624 drivers in Wales tested positive last December, a failure rate of 8.5%.
The number arrested in North Wales (322) was the highest outside the Metropolitan Police area of Greater London (412).
“We might be going to fewer Christmas parties this year, but several studies show that people have been drinking more alcohol during lockdown,” comments 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”.
Welsh Police carried out 32,530 roadside breath tests throughout 2019 – of which 4,577 were either positive or refused.
Across England and Wales there were 8,860 injuries last year due to a driver being over the limit, including 240 deaths.