Three police forces report an increase in alcohol and drug law violations in 2020

The volume of beverage and drug driving ban violations fell 14 percent in 2020, although some areas have seen an increase despite a sharp drop in traffic since the first lock was enforced in March.

Police in the cities of London, Humberside and Wiltshire said they had seen more journeys under the influence of cases this year than in 2019.

The figures were released amid fears that there could be another wave of crime over the Christmas season. Experts estimate the financial cost of being caught at the wheel over the legal alcohol limit is £ 70,000.

Of the 43 UK police forces who received a Freedom of Information request, 24 responded with alcohol and drug abuse figures for the year through mid-November.

Humberside Police Department recorded the highest annual increase, a 131 percent year-over-year increase, with 104 alcohol or drug violations recorded that year, compared with 45 in the same period last year.

The City of London Police saw a 25 percent increase (from 134 in 2019 to 167 in 2020) and Wiltshire Police saw a 5 percent increase. In 2020, 1,262 cases were affected, compared to 1,207 in 2019.

These increases are somewhat worrying given the significantly lower traffic volume this year due to lockdowns and restrictions put in place by the government to reduce the spread of the coronavirus.

Traffic fell by as much as 80 percent in some parts of the country in April, although the average number of cars on the road has decreased significantly in the past nine months from previous years.

The data for the 24 emergency services for both years are divided into months here

Analysis of the available FOI data by CarWow found that the UK’s monthly average of DUI crimes fell from 2,969.75 in 2019 to 2,772 in 2020.

The total number of incidents decreased from 35,637 to 30,492.

There were a number of months that DUI increased compared to 2019, including May (545 more in 2020), June (173 more), July (184 more), and August (351 more).

It should be noted, however, that the statistics for 2020 are only available for the year ending in mid-November – and December is usually the month when driving ban violations are highest.

The total number of trips under the influence of incidents decreased from 35,637 in 2019 to 30,492 this year

When looking at drink-driving incidents during the holiday season, the London Metropolitan Police recorded the highest number of crimes in 2019 (440), followed by Essex Police (393) and the Northern Ireland Armed Forces (275).

James Hind, CEO of the Car Settlement that launched the FOI inquiry, said, “One of the reasons we have seen increases in some areas could be because people became chancellors; You might think that because the streets are quiet, they can get away with a drink or two and get behind the wheel.

“This way of thinking is absolutely unacceptable and can cost lives.

“No matter how” good “you feel after a beer, there is absolutely no circumstance in which you should sit behind the wheel after your drink. Always have a qualified driver, especially this time of year.

The total cost of driving with drinks is a staggering £ 70,000

IAM RoadSmart has estimated that the full cost of exceeding the legal alcohol limit can be around £ 70,000

The UK’s largest independent road safety organization, IAM RoadSmart, has calculated that the personal financial cost of driving drinks, taking into account fines, legal fees, higher car insurance premiums, alternative transportation costs and potential losses, can be up to £ 70,000 or more can of merit upon conviction.

The charity’s research team found that after being convicted for drinking, costs now include:

– fines from £ 5,000although these are now unlimited, this could be a lot more

– Legal fees from £ 11,000 This is the average after conviction for a confession of no guilt

– increased insurance premiums from £ 13,500 over five years after a driver disqualification

– – £ 2,000 for taxi and public transport costs for alternative means of transport during a ban

– – £ 38,500 Loss of earnings for 15 months following a conviction based on an average UK salary.

Neil Greig, Director of IAM RoadSmart, said: “The impact of the drink-driving conviction on £ 70,000 is very sobering.

“This should be more than enough, let alone the thought of causing other harm to yourself, your family, or the other people you put at risk on the road, to stop the drivers tempted to drink more and sit behind the wheel.

“Our advice is therefore very simple to always stick with” None for the Road “.”

Empty streets as a result of closures, tiered restrictions and more people working from home have been blamed for an increase in speeding in the UK this year.

The latest speed statistics from the Department of Transportation for January through June showed evidence of a sharp increase in the number of motorists exceeding the limits from mid-March, compared to the previous year when the first Covid-19 restrictions were introduced.

It found that 30-mile zones were the most crossed by drivers, increasing to 63 percent during the lockdown, compared to 56 percent in the same period in 2019.

Traffic chiefs have already announced their intention to take action against drinks drivers in the UK who could introduce “Alcolocks”.

These in-car built-in devices can be built into vehicles owned by previously convicted drink drivers and require that they pass a breath test before driving.

The government will also look into issuing breath tests by police, which can provide more accurate readings, it has been reported.

Latest statistics show that an estimated 5,890 road accidents involved at least one driver who exceeded the alcohol limit in 2018, compared to 5,700 in the previous year.

Transport ministry figures also suggest that disproportionate numbers of women are killed and injured in drink-driving accidents.