Police forces across England have revealed that thousands of motorists have failed roadside safety checks during a major festive crackdown, with more than 5,200 found to be over the legal alcohol limit.
Three Years of Festive Enforcement Data
According to data obtained through Freedom of Information requests spanning the last three years, 5,247 drivers were caught exceeding the legal limit. This occurred despite extensive enforcement campaigns run by multiple police forces, local authorities, and councils in the lead-up to Christmas each year.
During the examined periods, officers conducted a staggering more than 53,700 roadside breath tests. Lancashire Constabulary emerged as the force administering the highest number of tests, with 6,123 conducted. They were followed by Merseyside Police (4,564 tests), Cleveland Police (4,499), and Sussex Police (3,921).
Regional Breakdown and High Failure Rates
The data reveals significant regional disparities in both testing and failure rates. In West Yorkshire, a concerning proportion of tests resulted in failures; out of 2,387 tests over the three festive periods, 787 drivers were recorded above the limit.
Some forces reported particularly high failure rates. Suffolk Constabulary noted approximately 21 per cent of tested drivers failed, while North Wales Police recorded a failure rate of around 18 per cent.
In terms of arrests, Surrey Police made a startling 1,695 arrests during the festive months—nearly double the next highest force. The Police Service of Northern Ireland followed with 871 arrests, then Kent Police (764), West Yorkshire Police (704), and Lancashire Constabulary (598).
Calls for Stricter Laws and Clearer Messaging
Motoring experts are using the data to advocate for stricter regulations. Ben Welham, motoring editor at cinch, stated: "Christmas is a critical period for drink drive testing, and the data shows police are carrying out large volumes of roadside stops during the festive season to prevent harm."
He added, "However, even with this level of enforcement, significant numbers of drivers are still being caught over the legal limit, sometimes at extremely high levels." Welham called for England and Wales to adopt the lower alcohol limit thresholds and zero-tolerance policies common across Europe. He argued this would create "clearer, simpler rules and messaging" for all drivers.
Currently, the drink-drive limit in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland is 80mg of alcohol per 100ml of blood (or 35µg per 100ml of breath). In contrast, Scotland has a stricter limit of 50mg/100ml blood (or 22µg/100ml breath). The persistent high failure rates during targeted campaigns have intensified the debate on whether aligning with Scotland's limit could improve road safety.
