Thousands of drivers fail roadside safety test as police demand tougher rules for Christmas
Almost one in 10 motorists has failed a major roadside safety test over the past few years, prompting calls for urgent action from authorities.
According to Freedom of Information requests over the past three years, 5,247 drivers were found to exceed the legal alcohol limit despite widespread enforcement efforts.
The findings demonstrated how drink driving persists as a significant issue during December, which remains one of the busiest periods on UK roads.
The report detailed how thousands of roadside tests were administered each December, yet motorists continue to get behind the wheel while intoxicated.
Police forces significantly ramped up their enforcement operations during the last month of the year, conducting more than 53,700 roadside breath tests across the three years examined.
Lancashire Constabulary carried out the highest volume of testing among responding forces, administering 6,123 breath tests during the festive months.
This was followed by Merseyside Police (4,564 tests), Cleveland Police (4,499) and Sussex Police (3,921).
The surge in testing reflects how police respond to increased socialising and celebrations during the festive season. Lancashire’s commitment to enforcement was particularly notable, with nearly a quarter of all drink driving breath tests carried out by the force in 2024 taking place during December.
The police reported thousands of cases of drink driving on UK roads, which peak during the Christmas period
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LINCOLNSHIRE POLICEWest Yorkshire Police saw particularly alarming results, with close to one in three motorists tested during December found to be over the legal threshold.
Of 2,387 roadside tests administered by the force across the three festive periods, 787 resulted in drivers being recorded above the limit.
Current rules in England, Wales and Northern Ireland allow drivers up to 80 milligrams of alcohol per 100 millilitres of blood, a level introduced in 1967 and often described as “two pints”.
Suffolk Constabulary reported a failure rate of approximately 21 per cent, while North Wales Police recorded around 18 per cent.
The report found that one out of 10 drivers over the past three years failed breathalyser tests
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GETTYSome festive drink driving cases reached extreme levels, with Staffordshire Police logging the highest December breath alcohol reading in the dataset at 535 micrograms. This figure exceeds the legal limit by more than 15 times.
These readings highlight the danger posed by severely intoxicated individuals taking to the roads during the Christmas period.
The volume of offences translated into substantial arrest figures, with 8,159 drink driving arrests recorded across responding forces during the three years.
Surrey Police made the most interventions, recording 1,695 arrests during the festive months, nearly double the next highest force.
The current alcohol limit is 80mg of alcohol per 100ml of blood in England | PAThe Police Service of Northern Ireland followed with 871 arrests, Kent Police with 764, West Yorkshire Police with 704, and Lancashire Constabulary with 598.
Ben Welham, motoring editor at cinch, said: “Christmas is a critical period for drink drive testing, and the data shows police are carrying out large volumes of roadside stops during the festive season to prevent harm.
“However, even with this level of enforcement, significant numbers of drivers are still being caught over the legal limit, sometimes at extremely high levels.”
The expert called for England and Wales to follow lower alcohol limit thresholds and zero-tolerance policies across Europe to create “clearer, simpler rules and messaging”.
