New figures have revealed that Britain’s worst drink-driver in the last 10 years had a dangerously high amount of alcohol in his blood – enough to put someone in a coma or even kill them.
Every year, around 6,800 people are killed or injured in drink-driving crashes on UK roads. Worryingly, those numbers are rising. In fact, 2022 saw the highest number of drink-driving deaths in almost 15 years.
Today, drink-driving is linked to more than one in six (17%) road deaths each year. Campaigners are now urging the Government to publish its long-overdue road safety strategy.
New data from the DVLA reveals just how far over the legal limit some drivers have gone in the past decade.
The worst case on record was in July 2024, when a 39-year-old man was found to have a blood alcohol level of 513mg/dL. That’s six and a half times the legal limit and roughly the same as a 13-stone man drinking 22 pints of beer.
Medical experts say any reading above 400mg/dL can cause breathing to slow down so much that it becomes life-threatening. Readings above 450mg/dL are often linked to coma or death.
Graham Conway from Select Car Leasing, which requested the data through a Freedom of Information request, said:
“These numbers are shocking. Drinking before driving is always dangerous. But to drink enough to risk your life – and then get behind the wheel – is beyond belief.”
The DVLA shared the top 20 highest drink-driving readings from 2015 to 2024. The second worst case was in June 2023, when a 62-year-old man had a reading of 471mg/dL. Third was a 37-year-old man with 460mg/dL in August 2022.
The highest reading for a woman was recorded in October 2017. A 51-year-old had a level of 400mg/dL. In fact, six of the top ten worst offenders were women.
The breakdown of the top 20 offenders shows:
- 9 were in their 30s
- 6 were in their 40s
- 2 were in their 50s
- 3 were in their 60s The youngest was 31. The oldest were both 66.
Conway added:
“It’s alarming that four of the top five highest readings happened in just the past three years. It shows the message that drink-driving is dangerous and unacceptable still hasn’t hit home with some people.”
“And we’re not talking about one or two drinks – these drivers drank enough to put themselves in hospital.”
What’s the legal limit?
In England, Wales, and Northern Ireland, the legal alcohol limit for driving is:
- 80mg of alcohol per 100ml of blood, or
- 35 micrograms per 100ml of breath
In Scotland, the limit is lower:
- 50mg per 100ml of blood, or
- 22 micrograms per 100ml of breath
If you're caught over the limit, you face:
- A minimum one-year driving ban
- An unlimited fine
- Up to six months in prison
If you kill someone while drink-driving, you could now face life in prison.
The risk at any level
Charity Brake! found that even small amounts of alcohol in the bloodstream increase crash risk:
- Drivers with 50–80mg/100ml are six times more likely to be involved in a fatal crash than those with none.
- Those with 20–50mg/100ml are three times more likely to die in a crash.
- Even just 10mg/100ml increases the risk of being at fault in a crash by 46% compared to having no alcohol at all.
