Over half of South Yorkshire drink driving arrests in 2022 took place in summer months, new figures show

Figures obtained through a freedom of information request submitted by Confused.com show that during the course of 2022, South Yorkshire Police made a total of 701 arrests for drink-driving.

Of those 701 drink-driving arrests made in the county last year, 372 - or 53 per cent - were made in the summer months, between May and September 2022.

The worst offending force area in the UK for drink driving arrests during last summer was that of the Metropolitan police with 1,937 drink driving arrests between May and September 2022, followed by Northern Island with 1,105; Avon and Somerset with 1,035; West Yorkshire with 841 and West Midlands with 808.

A spokesperson for Confused.com said the time of year could be a big factor in the number of arrests, with a survey of motorists showing that just one in 10 believe they are likely to be stopped or arrested for drink-driving in the summer months.

Louise Thomas, motor expert at Confused.com car insurance added: “When the weather is hotter and evenings become lighter, it can be tempting to make plans at the last minute. But if you’ve driven somewhere and then are left in a position where alcohol is involved, you might find yourself in a bit of a dilemma.

 “If you’re drinking alcohol, don’t drive. Doing so could have huge consequences. Not just on your driving record, but you could be putting other road users’ safety at risk too. If you need to get home the same day, the sensible option is to ask someone to pick you up, take public transport or even book accommodation for the evening.

 “And don’t forget that alcohol can stay in your system hours after drinking, including the morning after. So if you find yourself in a position to drive the day after drinking, you should check first that you’re safe to get behind the wheel. That’s where our morning after calculator can help. By telling the calculator what you had to drink the night before, drivers can determine if they could still be over the drink-drive limit before getting behind the wheel.”

The morning after calculator tool can be viewed here, and seeks to give drivers a rough estimation on when they could be fit to drive.

Nationally, police forces across the UK made 16,000 arrests last summer, and so far this year, a total of 11,105 drivers have been caught over the limit when behind the wheel.

There are strict alcohol limits for drivers. In England, Wales and Northern Ireland the legal limit is 35 micrograms of alcohol per 100 millilitres of breath; 80 milligrammes of alcohol per 100 millilitres of blood or 107 milligrammes per 100 millilitres of urine.

However, despite the strict alcohol limits, The Government says it is impossible to say exactly how many drinks this equals because it is different for each person.

The Government advises that the way alcohol affects you depends on your weight, age, sex and metabolism (the rate your body uses energy); the type and amount of alcohol you are drinking; what you have eaten recently and your stress levels at the time.

You could be imprisoned, banned from driving and face a fine if you’re found guilty of drink-driving. The actual penalty you get is up to the magistrates who hear your case, and depends on your offence.