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More than 2,000 drink-driving offences recorded by the police in the past year
After submitting a series of freedom of information requests to 34 police forces across the UK, researchers have discovered that Avon and Somerset Police recorded the fifth highest number of drink driving offences between 2021-2024.
Over the past three years, Avon and Somerset Police have recorded just over 6,000 drink driving offences, significantly higher than nearby South Wales Police who recorded just under 4,000 offences.
Legal Expert, a no win no fee law firm based in Wirral, are the team behind this research.
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Their research also found that, between December 2023 to November 2024, Avon and Somerset Police recorded 2,003 offences, of which 46 per cent of offenders were between the ages of 16 to 35 and 82 per cent were male.
Of the logged offences, only 53 per cent resulted in a charge.
The most common drink driving offences recorded by Avon and Somerset Police over the last year were for driving a vehicle over the legal alcohol limit and driving while unfit through drink.
The latest figures from the government’s department of transport show that, in 2022, at least 300 people were killed in the UK in a collision where at least one driver was over the legal alcohol limit.
In December 2024, Avon and Somerset Police’s Roads Policing Team launched Operation Limit, a a month-long campaign against drink-driving.
At the time, police and crime commissioner Claire Moody said: “I fully support this initiative to combat dangerous driving.
“It’s encouraging to see that many more people are reporting instances of impaired driving, whether due to alcohol or drugs. Those who speak up are helping to save lives. The statistics in our area alone demonstrate that – driving under the influence puts lives at risk.”
Main photo: Avon and Somerset Police
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