Crack down on even small amount of drink before driving, says charity as new Blackpool and Lancashire stats unveiled

Drink driving was linked to more than a dozen crashes resulting in death or injury in Blackpool last year, the statistics reveal.

And across Lancashire, that figure was more than 100.

Road safety charity Brake is calling for the drink drive limit, the threshold by which drivers can be prosecuted, to be significantly lowered, stating that the limit for England, Wales and Northern Ireland is set too high compared to other countries in Europe and allows people to legally drive while abilities may be impaired.

Department for Transport data shows drivers or riders impaired by alcohol contributed to 13 crashes in the unitary area of Blackpool last year.

The figures, which report contributory factors for incidents as recorded by police, also show five people affected by illicit or medicinal drugs.

Officers can record one or more causes for any vehicle incident where someone suffers even a slight injury. These do not have to involve cars and may include a cyclist falling over or a motorbike colliding with a pedestrian.

A driver or rider could be marked as being impaired by alcohol or drugs if police believe their behaviour directly caused or contributed to the accident, whether over the legal limit or not.

A total 235 incidents recorded in Blackpool had contributory factors in 2019 – alcohol was linked to six per cent of these, while impairment through drugs was reported in two per cent.

In Lancashire, meanwhile, Department for Transport data shows drivers or riders impaired by alcohol contributed to 117 crashes in across the county last year.

The figures, which report contributory factors for incidents as recorded by police, also show 32 people affected by illicit or medicinal drugs.

A total 1,789 incidents recorded in Lancashire had contributory factors in 2019 – alcohol was linked to 7% of these, while impairment through drugs was reported in 2%.

While the Scottish Government reduced the alcohol limit for drivers from 80 milligrammes (mg) per 100 millilitres of blood to 50mg in December 2014, the legal level in the rest of the UK remains 80mg.

Joshua Harris, Brake's director of campaigns, said the presence of drink and drug driving on the roads is concerning but "all too predictable".

He said: "We know that any amount of alcohol impairs driving, and yet the Government persists with the highest drink-drive limit in Europe in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.

"We urge the Government to introduce an effective zero tolerance drink-drive limit, providing much-needed clarity to all drivers that if you drink, you must not drive."

Meanwhile, Jack McFarlane, from Poulton, knows only too well the huge impact a crash can have on victims.

The 26-year-old lost the business he ran with partner Ellen Pickup after a car ploughed into the front of the shop.

Although alcohol was never definitively linked to the incident – the driver was arrested on suspicion of failing to provide a specimen to police but never charged – the incident at The Health Kitchen, on Poulton Street, Fleetwood, cost the pair thousands.

The pair were left “gutted” two years ago when the Renault Laguna caused extensive damage to the store, rupturing a gas pipe and wrecking furniture.

The business has since closed, Jack said, having been unable to recoup the losses caused by the crash.

Jack, now working as a plumber, said: “In our case nobody was hurt but we lost our business, something we had put everything into.

“ I think the way some cases are prosecuted could be more effective. It is still a big issue.”

Transport committee MPs announced this month that they are considering a no-alcohol limit for new drivers under the age of 25 in a bid to curb the number of casualties on the roads each year.

The most common contributory factor in Blackpool was drivers and riders being careless, reckless or in a hurry, listed in 29 per cent of incidents, alongside failing to look properly (29 per cent) and failing to judge the other person's path or speed (17 per cent).

Different figures show 107 people were seriously injured on the area's roads last year.

This was lower than in 2018, when police recorded two deaths and 119 serious injuries.

Total casualties, which include slight injuries, fell from 452 to 396 over the period.

Mr Harris said the "decimation" of roads policing over the past decade has left the UK unable to reduce its high levels of dangerous driving.

"We welcome the Government’s Roads Policing Review, which will help coordinate roads policy and enforcement and urge the Government to ensure that the police are provided the investment they need to enforce the rules of the road effectively," he added.

Transport Minister Baroness Vere said statistics show road casualties are the lowest they’ve been for 40 years, and that the number of deaths has also reduced.

She added: “While this news is encouraging and while we have some of the safest roads in the world, this Government will continue to work tirelessly to ensure our roads are made even safer still."