County drivers are ‘more likely to be breath tested’

Drivers in Lancashire are more likely to be breath tested than in any other part of England, a new survey says.

By The Newsroom

Published 9th Dec 2014, 08:51 BST

The county has come top in a list of breathalyser hotspots compiled by insurance company Direct Line.

Lancashire Police carried out 30.9 tests per 1,000 population in the year up to August, compared with 25.4 in Cumbria, 17.7 in North Yorkshire and 6.3 in West Yorkshire.

But the Red Rose figures paled in comparison to two areas across the border in Wales where 71.5 breath tests were carried out in the North Wales Police area and 43.2 in Dyfed-Powys.

The survey also found women drivers are far less likely to be breath tested than men. Only 23 per cent of tests carried out in the 12 months to the end of August were on women.

In one force, Cambridgeshire, the figure was even lower with only 15 per of tests on female motorists. In all seven per cent of women fail roadside tests compared with 10 per cent of men.

Gus Park, of Direct Line, said the discrepancy between test numbers was a concern.