Increase in Fatal Drink-Driving Accidents by 7% Over the Last Decade - Labour Contemplates Installing Breathalyzers in New Vehicles for Repeat Offenders
In Britain, the government is considering aligning car safety standards with the EU's General Safety Regulation 2 (GSR2), which could lead to the mandatory installation of in-built breathalysers (alcolocks) and black box data recorders in all new vehicles. This move aims to reduce drink-driving incidents and fatalities.
According to the Department for Transport, 5% of all road casualties in 2023 occurred in drink-drive collisions, resulting in 260 deaths. Over the past 10 years, the number of drink-driving deaths has increased by 7%, with 260 people losing their lives in crashes where a driver was over the alcohol limit in 2023. This is a 14% reduction compared to the previous 12 months but still higher than in 2013.
The proposed regulations, being seriously considered by the Labour government, are designed to maintain consistency with EU rules and to avoid cost increases, especially impacting Northern Ireland. The alignment with EU safety regulations would bring Britain closer to the EU’s safety framework, which includes demonstrated reductions in alcohol-related crashes due to such technology.
While the current laws in Britain do not mandate the installation of in-car breathalysers for convicted drink-driving offenders, these devices are widely recognized internationally as effective tools in preventing reoffending by blocking car operation unless sobriety is confirmed. The broader regulatory changes indicate a systemic approach to addressing drink-driving risk through vehicle technology.
A recent poll found that 53% of British drivers would support court-ordered breathalysers being fitted to cars of convicted drink-drivers. The RAC's Rod Dennis stated that RAC research shows drivers are supportive of courts being given the powers to mandate the fitting of alcohol interlocks to offenders' vehicles to prevent them from driving drunk again.
The impact of these measures would likely be significant in reducing drink-driving fatalities. The black box-style recorders can also support enforcement and accident investigation, encouraging safer driving behavior overall.
It's worth noting that a recent study by Direct Line Motor Insurance found that 82% of people failed to correctly name the legal drink drive limit, and two in five of the participants said they would rely on their own judgement and how they felt before deciding whether they were safe to drive or not. This underscores the need for technology like alcolocks to prevent drink-driving incidents.
The proportion of collisions involving a drink-driver is higher in Wales (7%) compared to England and Scotland (5%). Over the 11 years to 20 July 2024, 27,837 British motorists were convicted of drink-driving multiple times, with 372 of these motorists caught at least four times, including four who were prosecuted on seven occasions.
In conclusion, Britain is moving towards requiring in-car breathalysers on new vehicles under proposed EU-aligned safety rules, which would support reductions in drink-driving fatalities. The broader regulatory changes indicate a systemic approach to addressing drink-driving risk through vehicle technology.
- The insurance industry might experience changes as a result of the proposed regulations, as in-built breathalysers and black box data recorders could potentially lower the number of drink-driving incidents and fatalities, thereby lowering insurance premiums for vehicles equipped with such technology.
- The intersection of science and medicine can be seen in the development and effectiveness of in-car breathalysers as a preventive tool against drink-driving, as well as in the general-news stories highlighting the impact of alcohol-related crashes on public health and wellness.
- The transportation industry, particularly in Britain, could undergo significant changes with the mandatory installation of in-built breathalysers and black box data recorders in all new vehicles, which could alter driving habits and contribute to improvements in road safety.
- The crime-and-justice sector could potentially see shifts in approach towards drunk-driving offenders, as court-ordered breathalysers are gaining support among British drivers and could become a more common penalty for such offences, thereby reducing reoffending rates.
