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Drink-drive statistics: user feedback request 2025

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The road safety statistics team regularly reviews the contents of its publications to ensure they remain relevant and meet user needs. We have recently reviewed the drink-drive statistics and would welcome feedback from users on proposed changes to some elements of these statistics covering data coverage, methodology and presentation.

Question 1.

Are you providing a response as an individual, or on behalf of an organisation?
This is required

Coroner data on passengers, pedestrians and pedal cyclists

Coroner data provides information on blood alcohol levels of those killed in road collisions which is used in these statistics. To reduce burdens on coroners who supply this information, we are proposing that in future data will only be collected for motor vehicle drivers in future.

Currently data is collected for all fatalities. However, only those that are motor vehicle drivers or riders are used in producing the estimates of drink-drive casualties as the drink-drive limits do not apply to pedestrians, vehicle passengers or non-motor vehicle drivers or riders.

As it stands, data on proportions of pedestrians, passengers and pedal cyclist fatalities with blood alcohol in excess of the drink drive limit is presented in table RAS2033. However, this shows that the sample sizes for these groups are typically small, and in many cases toxicology information is not available. It is likely that some coroners will test when alcohol is suspected to be present, which introduces the possibility of bias in these figures and potentially limits their usefulness.

Question 2.

Does the proposed loss of data on blood alcohol levels in pedestrian fatalities cause you any problems with your work? If yes, please provide brief details.
This is required
Question 3.

Does the proposed loss of data on blood alcohol levels in pedal cyclist fatalities cause you any problems with your work? If yes, please provide brief details.
This is required
Question 4.

Does the proposed loss of data on blood alcohol levels in passenger fatalities cause you any problems with your work? If yes, please provide brief details.
This is required

Digital breath test results

We haven’t updated RAS2042, which contains data on the concentrations of alcohol detected in drivers’ breath in roadside breath tests, for 2023. This in part reflects a reduction in the volume of data provided by police forces in recent years.

We are also proposing the removal of this table in future. If these data are not being used, then we believe that the value to users that these statistics provide is outweighed by the work required to collect the data and produce the statistics.

Question 5.

Does the proposed loss of data on readings from digital breath tests cause you any problems with your work? If yes, please provide brief details.
This is required

Proposed methodology changes 

We are proposing a change to the methodology used to produce the drink-drive estimates for fatalities. This will result in minor changes to the estimates but will make the statistics more robust. Technical details of the changes we are considering implementing are available, including a chart showing the potential impact on recent years figures.

Question 6.

Do you have any comments on the implementation of the proposed methodology change? Are you content to support the team's proposed development, or would you have any concerns about the planned change? Or do you have no strong opinion on this change?

Name of the publication 

Currently, this publication is titled “Reported road casualties in Great Britain, involving illegal alcohol levels” however, we don’t believe that this is clear or matches the language used when the statistics are discussed and reported. We are considering changing the name of this publication to “Reported road casualties in Great Britain, drink-drive collisions”. We believe that this is clearer and aligns better with how users of the statistics would refer to them.

Question 7.

Do you support changing the name of this publication to “Reported road casualties in Great Britain, drink-drive collisions”?
This is required
Question 8.

Any other feedback

We also welcome any other feedback on these statistics. For example: 

  • does the timeliness and frequency of the current publications meet your needs? 
  • are there additional topics or analyses you would like to see included in the annual publication? 
  • are there any additional breakdowns which could be included in the published data tables? 

Have you got any other feedback on the drink-drive statistics?
Question 9.

The Road Safety Statistics Team wishes to retain your contact details so that we can send you emails about updates and feedback opportunities. Your information will be kept secure and will not be used for any other purpose without your permission. To find out more about how DfT looks after personal data, your rights, and how to contact our data protection officer, please go to https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/department-for-transport/about/personal-information-charter

If you are happy for the Road Safety Statistics Team at DfT to use your information for the purpose described above, please respond to this question with your preferred email contact address. You can let us know at any time if you do not wish to remain on this distribution list – simply email roadacc.stats@dft.gov.uk and say ‘please remove my name’.