Drinking and Driving (Hansard, 15 February 1994)

§ Mr. Colvin
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what research his Department has commissioned in order to assess the extent to which drivers aged 50 years and over have received the message that drinking and driving is not advisable; and if he will make a statement.

§ Mr. Key
The reduction in drink driving by different groups of drivers is estimated by analysis of police breath test statistics and data supplied by coroners. This shows that drinking and driving among drivers aged 50 years and over has been falling at much the same rate as for drivers under the age of 50.

§ Mr. Peter Bottomley
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when his Department first and last received representations from the British Medical Association for random breath testing as a major means of reducing drunk driving; and if he will estimate the reduction in drink drive deaths(a) during that period and (b) from the peak to the present day.

§ Mr. Key
Records are not available to show the date when the British Medical Association first made a representation to the Department of Transport on random breath testing.
Estimates are made annually of the number of fatal casualties in accidents where at least one driver exceeded 720W the legal alcohol limit. In 1978, the earliest year for which reliable data are available, the number was 1,650 and numbers in each subsequent year have been below this. In 1992, the most recent year available, the provisional estimate is 610, a reduction of 63 per cent. compared with 1978.