Drink laws blamed for soaring crash rate

Drink-drive accident rates are believed to have soared in Britain since 24-hour drinking was introduced last year.

A seven-year study in Australia has shown a massive jump in collisions as a direct result of pubs opening longer.

While official figures showing the effect on the UK will not be available until November, the study's findings are backed up by the road safety charity Campaign Against Drinking and Driving (CADD).

It claims that police officers nationwide are reporting an increase in drink-related accidents and more drivers caught drunk the morning after. CADD's national secretary Carole Whittingham said: "The feedback from traffic police has been negative. They say incidents of drink-driving are going up. We hear the same from a lot of them."

The Australian research revealed that crashes involving drivers above the legal alcohol limit more than doubled after some bars in Perth were allowed to close one hour later.

Binge drinking

The authoritative study focused on 186 pubs, just under a quarter of which were granted an extension until 1am. Immediately after Australia's new laws were introduced, in July 1993, accidents involving customers who had visited bars with a late licence more than doubled.

The crash rate fell back after the first nine months but, on average, was still 47 per cent higher during the seven-year study.

The findings will reinforce fears over the impact of the Government's decision to relax licensing laws in Britain.

Senior police, judges and politicians opposed the move to 24-hour opening, fearing an upsurge in binge drinking, violence and road accidents. Drink-drive deaths in the UK are already at their highest level for 14 years.

Drink drivers disgust me. It's ridiculous they feel that they have the right to put other drivers lives at risk like that.

 

I'm not surprised the 24 hour drinking has increased the problem, although i struggle to find pubs that serve beyond 1am anyway.

yeah good point.i don't know 24hr places in dundee.

the drunk pedestrian tonight though!i near ran over a few!they think the road's a pavement

Just as it happened in Australia, doesn't mean it will be the same in the UK

We'd be too drunk to drive. thats if we ever leave the pub.

yeah good point.i don't know 24hr places in dundee.

the drunk pedestrian tonight though!i near ran over a few!they think the road's a pavement

 

And a "toilet"!!:rolleyes:

Dont mention that please, I was in London with Gal and i was saying how great it is the people are nicer then you think and theres this bloke having a piss in the middle of Oxford Street. It was disgusting.