More than 1,000 drink-drivers were caught in Wales in 2017, nearly all in North Wales.
North Wales Police recorded the most offences in Wales with 882 drink-drivers caught and than half (51%) of drivers in Wales admit to driving after having an alcoholic drink – more than half (53%) of which did so during the summer.
In total, more than 41,000 UK motorists were caught drink-driving in 2017 and results indicate the don’t-drink-and-drive message is faltering and police in other parts of Wales are not catching those over the limit.
Confused.com created ‘morning after calculator’ to advise drivers on how much alcohol could still be in their system – even after a good night’s sleep.
Motorists in Wales are warned to watch out for drink-drivers, as 1,087 offences were recorded in the region in 2017 just 1% less than 12 months earlier. While North Wales topped the league, South Wales recorded 128 and Dyfed Powis 71. Gwent declined to give information so the effectiveness of their policing is unknown.
It shows that motorists in the North Wales area should be particularly cautious on the roads, with the highest number of drunk-drivers in 2017. In total, 882 motorists were caught by North Wales Police for being over the legal drink-drive limit.
However, further research by the driver savings site suggests that motorists should also be on the lookout for boozy drivers while the sun is out. More than half (51%) of motorists in Wales admit to driving after having an alcoholic drink, with more than half (53%) doing so during the summer.
And with the sunny weather we’ve been having recently, it is likely drink-driving offences in Wales could accelerate in 2018, especially as more hot weather is promised for the rest of the summer. Regardless of how much you drink, or what time you finish, it’s no secret that drink-driving is extremely dangerous and puts other road users at risk. In fact, one in eight (12%) UK drivers say they have had an accident or near-miss caused by drink-driving. And given so many drivers admit to drink-driving over the course of the summer, it’s no surprise that more than one in 10 (11%) of these accidents or near-misses happened between the months of May and August. | But drivers across the UK are risking more than driving after a drink or two, with some taking to the wheel while they still feel a bit drunk. In fact, almost a fifth (17%) of UK motorists say they have driven while knowingly being over the legal alcohol limit. But what is worrying is that sometimes a good night’s sleep isn’t quite enough to sober them up. In fact, almost a quarter (24%) of those who have driven while still feeling drunk did so between the hours of 6am and 12pm. To prevent motorists from taking the risk and driving while still drunk, Confused.com has created a ‘morning after calculator’ which allows users to input their drink of choice, how many glasses they have had, and when they stopped drinking, to estimate when their body will be free of any trace of alcohol. |
So far, 2018 is on course to be a boozier year, with 13,614 offences recorded in the UK between January and April, compared to 13,408 over the same four months in 2017.
But there is still hope for more sun coming our way, which means people aren’t leaving the pub gardens quite yet. In fact, the research by Confused.com suggests drivers find drink-driving to be more of an issue over the summer months, with almost half (45%) believing the hot weather encourages people to drink more alcohol.
Not only this, but more than a third (37%) say that motorists are more likely to drive after having an alcoholic drink when the sun is out.
As drivers make the most of the sunny weather, it can be difficult to keep track of how many Pimms or gin and tonics they are knocking back but monitoring alcohol intake could help motorists decide when it is safe to drive.