'Alcolocks' plan for next year amid spike in drink-driving crashes
‘Alcolocks’ could be fitted into cars to stop motorists starting the engine without passing breathalyser tests after 3% rise in drink-drive crashes
- Some 5,890 accidents involved at least one driver over the alcohol limit in 2018
- That’s up from 5,700 crashes linked to drink driving the 12 months previous
- Women are involved in 20% of the accidents but make up 34% of casualties
- Experts called for more to be done to curb the number of drink-related shunts
- This includes introduction of in-car breathalysers for those previously convicted
‘Alcolocks’ which force motorists to pass a breath test before they drive could be introduced after a spike in drink-driving crashes, according to reports.
Government road safety chiefs are looking at plans to introduce the systems, which are installed in cars and will force drivers to pass a breathalyser test before the vehicle’s engine will start.
They will also look at introducing more advanced breath tests, which can give more accurate readings, it has been reported.
The new measures could be introduced as soon as next year, according to The Times.
It comes as it was today revealed there has been a three per cent annual rise in the number of drink-drive crashes on Britain’s roads, new figures released today show.
An estimated 5,890 accidents involved at least one driver who was over the alcohol limit in 2018, up from 5,700 in the previous year, the Department for Transport confirmed.
And the stats also suggest that a disproportionate number of women are killed and injured in these drink-drive-related accidents.
Rise in drink-drive crashes on Britain’s roads: There has been a 3% annual increase in the number of shunts involving intoxicated motorists, says the DfT
The figures show that around one in 20 of all reported crashes in 2018 involved a drunk driver.
The estimated number of people killed in drink-drive crashes fell from 250 in 2017 to 240 in 2018 and is similar to levels seen since 2010.
Commenting on the new figures, a DfT spokeswoman said: ‘Drink-driving is truly unacceptable. It’s a senseless act that puts everyone at risk.’
Some 80 per cent of drink-drive accidents in 2018 involved male drivers or riders over the legal limit, records revealed.
‘These new statistics show that four in five drink-drivers who caused accidents were male,’ the spokeswoman added.
‘That’s why we’re focusing our work on young male drivers, with our award-winning Think! campaign highlighting that mates don’t let mates drink-drive.’
An estimated 5,890 accidents involved at least one driver who was over the alcohol limit in 2018, up from 5,700 in the previous year
While the stats show that intoxicated men account for four in five drink-drive accidents, males only accounted for two thirds of casualties.
Women, on the other hand, are involved in 20 per cent of drink-drive accidents but make up 34 per cent of casualties in these incidents.
Studies revealed last year that women are generally at a greater risk of being killed or injured in all car collisions due to the design of vehicles and how they are crash tested.
Women are 73 per cent more likely to suffer fatal injuries because test dummies mirror the male body type, according to Emily Thomas, Ph.D., automotive safety engineer at Consumer Reports’ Auto Test Center.
Jack Cousens, head of roads policy at the AA, said that the new drink-drive statistics point to a worrying likelihood that women caught up in such accidents will be killed or injured.
Mr Cousens explained: ‘Many of these women will be passengers and the AA has long warned parents to be wary of who might be driving cars their daughters, and sons for that matter, are passengers in.’
The suggested that a disproportionate number of women are killed and injured in these drink-drive-related accidents
RAC head of policy Nicholas Lyes said today’s ‘disappointing figures’ illustrate the need for much more to be done to ‘curb the plague of drink-driving’.
He called for an accelerated introduction of in-car breathalysers, which can be installed in convicted drink drivers’ cars and only allow them to start the engine after they have provided a sample to prove they are below the legal alcohol limit.
‘The Government has indicated it is looking at the possibility of introducing ‘alcolock’ technology to prevent reoffenders from getting behind the wheel, so we’d like to know what progress is being made here,,’ said Lyes.
‘This, together with more police on our roads conducting breathalyser tests, could go a long way to cutting drink-drive deaths in the future.’
Spanish maker Seat revealed its in-car breathalyser system in 2017.
The system only allows the vehicle’s engine to start if all occupants in the car have their seatbelts fastened and the driver has passed a legal breath sample from the front seat.
Once the motorist has blown into the pipe for the allotted time, a display on the infotainment screen tells them if they’re above or below the drink drive limit.
It can’t be tricked, either: to prevent drivers from getting a sober passenger to take the test, the system has an eye monitor feature that knows which individual is in control of the car.
If the user fails the breath test, the car is immediately disabled and three options are offered to the potentially dangerous driver, one being to retake the test.
The Scottish Government reduced the alcohol limit for drivers from 80 milligrammes (mg) per 100 millilitres of blood to 50mg in December 2014.
However, the legal level in the rest of the UK remains 80mg.
Neil Greig, director of policy and research at road safety charity IAM RoadSmart, called for this limit to be reviewed.
‘Once again progress on reducing the toll of death and injuries from drink-driving has stalled,’ he said.
‘There is no one simple answer to reducing these figures, but we believe a much smarter package of measures is needed from the Government including a lower drink-drive limit to reinforce good behaviour, fast-track of evidential roadside testing machines to release police resources and tailored approaches to help drivers with alcohol problems.
‘Rehabilitation courses work and we believe all those convicted of drink-driving should be sent on one automatically rather than having to opt in.’
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