On average, almost 100 drivers a day have been caught drink-driving over the past three years, new data shows.
A Freedom of Information request to the DVLA revealed that 108,000 drivers were hit with drink-driving endorsements between 2022 and 2024. The group most often caught were those aged 25 to 39, with 48,000 cases. That’s more than double the number of drivers aged 17 to 24, who accounted for 15,000 cases.
The consequences are brutal. If your job requires driving, getting caught for drink-driving could cost you up to £80,000 in lost earnings, fines, legal fees and soaring insurance premiums, according to road safety charity IAM RoadSmart. Most offenders also lose their licence for at least a year, and some face jail time.
The dangers are just as serious. In 2023, drink-driving was linked to 260 deaths and around 1,600 serious injuries on UK roads.
The Government is now weighing up cutting the legal drink-drive limit in England and Wales from 35 micrograms of alcohol per 100ml of breath to 22 micrograms, bringing it in line with Scotland and the rest of Europe. If it happens, even just one pint could be enough to push you over the limit.
The stats also highlight some extreme cases. Last July, a 39-year-old man recorded a reading six-and-a-half times the legal limit, the equivalent of downing 22 pints of beer. Experts say blood alcohol levels that high are often fatal.
IAM RoadSmart says the message needs to be clearer: “Drink-driving is a dangerously reckless act that puts other people's lives at risk.
"The fact that there were 1,860 killed or seriously injured in a drink-drive related collision in 2023 - the equivalent of five people a day - should be sufficient deterrent.
"But for some, the consequences might only dawn on them when they realise the wider cost.
"We hope that by calculating the potential cost to the individual, would-be law breakers will at the very least consider the impact on themselves and think twice before getting behind the wheel after a drink; it could end up being a very expensive pint if it puts you over the drink-drive limit.
"What we need is a shift in mindset. Lowering the limit and boosting enforcement would help send the message that having none for the road is best."
Alongside a potential drink-driving crackdown, the Government’s upcoming road safety strategy could also include mandatory eye tests every three years for over-70s, tougher punishments for drivers caught without insurance, and stricter penalties if passengers aren’t wearing seatbelts.
