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Driving: Convictions

Justice written question – answered am ar 9 Gorffennaf 2009.

Danfonwch hysbysiad imi am ddadleuon fel hyn

Photo of Norman Baker Norman Baker Shadow Secretary of State for Transport

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice

(1) how many drivers were convicted of driving while exceeding the blood alcohol limit with levels of alcohol of (a) 80 to 90, (b) 91 to 100, (c) 101 to 110, (d) 111 to 120, (e) 121 to 130, (f) 131 to 140, (g) 141 to 150, (h) 151 to 160, (i) 161 to 170, (j) 171 to 180, (k) 181 to 190, (l) 191 to 200 and (m) over 200mg per 100ml of blood in the last year for which figures are available;

(2) how many drivers have been convicted of (a) driving under the influence of alcohol with a level of alcohol in excess of 80mg per 100ml of blood and (b) failing to provide a specimen of blood in each year since 1980.

Photo of Claire Ward Claire Ward Parliamentary Under-Secretary, Ministry of Justice

Available information on the number of findings of guilt at all courts for offences of driving etc after consuming alcohol or taking drugs, by offence type, in England and Wales for the years 1994 to 2007 (latest available) is given in the table. Data held centrally on the Court Proceedings Database by the Ministry of Justice do not identify the amount by which the prescribed limit was exceeded.

Information for the years prior to 1994 can be found on the Home Office Research Development and Statistics website under "Offences relating to motor vehicles, England and Wales, Supplementary Tables". See following link:

http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/motor1.html

Number of findings of guilt for offences of driving etc . after consuming alcohol or taking drugs, by offence type, 1994 to 2007( 1) , England and Wales
Number of offences
Offence type 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000
Unfit to drive through drink or drugs (impairment) 1,899 1,809 1,865 1,930 1,939 2,005 1,826
Driving with alcohol in the blood above the prescribed limit 73,733 77,115 81,046 84,929 78,799 74,427 71,214
Driving and failing to provide specimen for analysis (breath, blood or urine) 8,192 8,068 7,712 8,112 7,359 8,091 8,232
In charge of motor vehicle while unfit through drink or drugs (impairment) 368 365 376 408 416 415 388
In charge of motor vehicle with alcohol in the blood above the prescribed limit 1,670 1,827 1,887 2,120 2,340 2,108 1,938
In charge of motor vehicle and failing to provide specimen for analysis (breath, blood or urine) 666 501 472 489 517 592 741
Failing to provide specimen for initial breath test 3,172 2,821 2,348 2,214 1,746 1,724 1,490
Failing to allow specimens of blood to be subjected to laboratory test n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a
Unfit to drive through drink (impairment) n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a
Unfit to drive through drugs (impairment) n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a
In charge of motor vehicle while unfit through drink (impairment) n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a
In charge of motor vehicle while unfit through drugs (impairment) n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a
Total 89,700 92,505 95,705 100,202 93,116 89,361 85,829
Offence type 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007
Unfit to drive through drink or drugs (impairment) 1,937 2,129 2,261 1,552 1,093 918 845
Driving with alcohol in the blood above the prescribed limit 70,091 74,499 77,712 80,383 78,108 78,027 74,885
Driving and failing to provide specimen for analysis (breath, blood or urine) 8,208 8,900 9,185 9,188 9,361 8,991 9,096
In charge of motor vehicle while unfit through drink or drugs (impairment) 404 487 449 457 301 226 213
In charge of motor vehicle with alcohol in the blood above the prescribed limit 2,134 2,280 1,886 1,779 1,882 1,760 1,585
In charge of motor vehicle and failing to provide specimen for analysis (breath, blood or urine) 658 891 967 1,070 985 914 921
Failing to provide specimen for initial breath test 1,310 1,302 1,240 1,182 932 770 572
Failing to allow specimens of blood to be subjected to laboratory test n/a n/a (2)2 5 13 12 12
Unfit to drive through drink (impairment) n/a n/a (3)n/a 348 530 479 473
Unfit to drive through drugs (impairment) n/a n/a (3)n/a 203 363 414 383
In charge of motor vehicle while unfit through drink (impairment) n/a n/a (3)n/a 56 120 134 209
In charge of motor vehicle while unfit through drugs (impairment) n/a n/a (3)n/a 15 29 26 29
Total 84,472 90,488 93,702 96,238 93,717 92,671 89,223
n/a = Not available

(1) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used.

(2) Authorised under the Road Traffic Act 1988 s.7A as added by the Police Reform Act 2002, s.56 and Transport and Works Act 1992 as added by the Police Reform Act 2002 s.52 which came into force in July 2002.

(3) Prior to 2004 data were published covering both drink and drugs offences combined as they could not reliably be distinguished separately.

Source:

Office for Criminal Justice Reform—Evidence and Analysis Unit.

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Yes1 person thinks so

No5 people think not

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