Drink driving a factor in Falkirk crash death

Road safety charity Brake called the persistence of dangerous behaviour on the roads "deeply concerning" as it renewed calls for a zero-tolerance stance on drink and drug driving.

Department for Transport data shows drivers or riders impaired by alcohol contributed to one crash in Falkirk last year.

The most common contributory factor in Falkirk was drivers and riders not looking properly, listed in 27% of incidents, followed by failing to judge the other person's path or speed (21%) and the road being slippery due to the weather (19%).

Different figures show four people were killed and 55 seriously injured on the area's roads last year.

This was compared to four deaths and 79 serious injuries in 2018.

Total casualties, which include slight injuries, fell from 221 to 167 over the period.

The figures report contributory factors for incidents as recorded by police.

Officers can record one or more causes for any vehicle incident where someone suffers even a slight injury. These may include a cyclist falling over or a motorbike colliding with a pedestrian.

A driver or rider could be marked as being impaired by alcohol or drugs if police believe their behaviour directly caused or contributed to the accident, whether over the legal limit or not.

A total 86 incidents recorded in Falkirk had contributory factors in 2019 – alcohol was linked to one per cent of these.

The Scottish Government reduced the alcohol limit for drivers from 80 milligrammes (mg) per 100 millilitres of blood to 50mg in December 2014, but the legal level in the rest of the UK remains 80mg.

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Joshua Harris, Brake's director of campaigns, said the presence of drink and drug driving on the roads is concerning but "all too predictable".

"We know that any amount of alcohol impairs driving, and yet the Government persists with the highest drink-drive limit in Europe in England, Wales and Northern Ireland," he said.

"We urge the Government to introduce an effective zero tolerance drink-drive limit, providing much-needed clarity to all drivers that if you drink, you must not drive."

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