The UK’s drink driving hotspots

Study analysing five years of government data reveals the UK’s drink driving hotspots
The study reveals West Midlands is the UK’s drink driving hotspot with 89.48 casualties per 100k capita
60–69-year-olds are most likely to drink and drive
Males are most likely to get behind the wheel after a drink

As we head into the summer months, the UK sees a spike in drink driving cases and road traffic accidents* making the roads far more dangerous for pedestrians and cyclists alike, not to mention other drivers.

To help bring attention to this, The Compensation Experts analysed government data from over the past five years to identify the UK’s drink driving hotspots, based specifically on the number of accidents per 100,00 people in each region.*

Based on the results from the analysis, the top 10 UK regions with the most drink driving incidents per 100,000 people are as follows:

Rank
Region
Number of casualties per 100k capita
1
West Midlands
89.48
2
South East
57
3
East Midlands
56.32
4
East of England
51.16
5
South West
49.86
6
Yorkshire and Humberside
43.57
7
Wales
42.21
8
North West
39.18
9
North East
37.26
10
London
34.29
Without a doubt, people in the West Midlands are the biggest culprits when it comes to getting behind the wheel after drinks. The region’s total of 89.48 accidents per 100,000 capita puts it a full 32 accidents higher than the South East, its nearest accidents rival.

Typically, you might expect younger members of society to be responsible for committing drink driving offences, but this isn’t actually the case! Shockingly, it’s the 60-69-year-olds age group who most commonly drink and drive. That’s 2.3% higher than 25-29-year-olds.

When it comes to the gender distinctions, it’s males that are statistically more likely to get behind the wheel after drinking. On average, men are involved in 4,534 drink driving accidents per year compared to just 1,186 for women.

Road safety tips for pedestrians

With the alarming numbers of drunk drivers on the roads, road safety is just as important for pedestrians as it is for drivers. Here are some of our top tips on how road users can stay safe:

1. Don’t rely on others

Whilst you might be giving full attention to everything around you, it doesn’t mean that others are especially ­­knowing how many drunk drivers there are on the roads. Make sure you cross eyes with other road users especially when crossing a junction and be authoritative when on the roads.

2. Look and listen

This may be a rule that you learnt back when you were a child but something that is so easily forgotten. When crossing the road, look out for cyclists and motorists. Always walk straight across the road and make eye contact with the other road users.

3. Consider your alcohol levels

Even if you are just a pedestrian it’s important to make sure you are not drunk whilst near moving traffic. After drinking alcohol, you may be more likely to take risks that you wouldn’t usually take, and your reaction times will be much slower.

Road safety tips for drivers:

1. Be alert

Being alert to drunk drivers is so important, look out for any erratic driving, and keep your distance. If someone is tailgating you, pull over and let them past.

2. Take a break

Tiredness is a major factor in road accidents, and although you may not be to blame it’s important not to drive when tired as this will affect your alert levels.

3. Avoid distractions when driving

From having your phone on silent to playing music too loudly whilst driving will distract you from having full concentration on the road and other road users around you.

A spokesperson at The Compensation Experts comments on the study, “With an alarming number of drink driving accidents happening in cities up and down the country each year, it’s more important than ever to ensure that you stay safe, sober and vigilant when on the roads”.