Drink-driving death rate 25% higher than 2011

Department for Transport estimates 290 people were killed in drink-drive accidents in Britain in 2012

The number of deaths in drink-drive accidents soared last year, according to provisional government figures.

An estimated 290 people were killed in such accidents in Britain in 2012 – around 25% more than the figure of 230 in 2011, the Department for Transport said.

The 2012 figures were made worse by the fact that the 2011 total was the lowest since records began in 1979.

The 2012 figures showed that the 290 deaths represented 17% of all reported road deaths.

There were 250 drink-drive accidents resulting in deaths in 2012, compared with 220 in 2011. Overall, the number of accidents involving drink-driving last year was 6,680 – fractionally down on the 2011 figure of 6,690.

The DfT figures also showed that those seriously injured in drink-drive accidents totalled 1,210 in 2012 – down from the total of 1,270 in 2011.

Slight injuries in drink-drive accidents totalled 8,500 last year – slightly up on the 8,420 figure in 2011.

Among those killed in drink-drive accidents, the majority (68%) were drivers and passengers over the legal alcohol limit. The remaining 32% were other road users involved in the accident but not necessarily over the legal limit themselves.

Although the death toll from last year rose significantly, the annual figure has come down considerably since the late 1970s and 1980s when figures of more than 1,400 deaths a year were recorded.

The annual death figure hovered around the 530 – 580 mark in the first years of the 21st century before dipping sharply from 2007 – 2011.

Source: Guardian Online