HC Deb 16 December 1992 vol 216 c311W
Mr. Alex Carlile

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what proposals he has to combat drunken driving in Wales; and if he will make a statement.

Sir Wyn Roberts

The Government's strategy is both to change people's attitudes so that drinking and driving is increasingly seen as socially unacceptable and to encourage tougher enforcement. To that end I plan to continue Iń Wales with the annual summer and Christmas/new year publicity campaigns. Carefully targeted publicity campaigns and enforcement have helped to reduce the numbers killed in drink-drive incidents over the last decade by more than half.

Mr. Alex Carlile

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many fatalities resulting from drink-related driving accidents were recorded in Wales in 1992; what were the comparable figures for 1990 and 1991; and if he will make a statement.

Sir Wyn Roberts

The numbers of fatalities in accidents where at least one driver gave a positive breath test are given in the table.

Information is available only where the driver was breath-tested within 12 hours of the accident occurrence. Figures exclude cases where breath test results were not available for medical or other reasons and provide no more than an indication of changes in drinking and driving patterns.

Number
1990 7
1991 4
11992 3
1 Available data for 1992: data to end of July for Dyfed-Powys and south Wales, to end of August for north Wales and to end of October for Gwent.