New data shows Thames Valley Police completes more breath tests than every force in England and Wales

New data has revealed that Thames Valley Police conducts more breath tests than any other force in the country.

Drivers in Oxfordshire, Berkshire and Buckinghamshire must be careful as more tests are conducted than in any other policing area in England and Wales.

Breathalyser firm AlcoSense has found that police force’s across the nation are stepping up safe driving campaigns during the World Cup.

Police are targeting anyone tempted to drive under the influence after watching the World Cup or celebrating Christmas.

AlcoSense has analysed Home Office data which shows that in December 2021 Thames Valley Police stopped 1,160 motorists suspected of drink driving.

Out of those, 92 motorists were found to be over the limit.

This proved to be lower than the national average failure rate of 10%, with just 8% of residents in the Thames Valley returning positive tests.

Throughout 2021, Thames Valley Police carried out 11,665 roadside breath tests – the highest for any police force in England and Wales.

A total of 1,499 motorists either tested positive or refused to provide a sample.

The annual failure rate of 13% was again under the national average of 17%.

“Watching England winning games at the World Cup, whether at home with family or down the pub, increases the likelihood of driving the next morning with alcohol still in your system,” says Hunter Abbott, managing director of AlcoSense, based in Maidenhead.

“If you drink four pints of medium-strong beer or four large glasses of wine during the football, it could take as long as 14 hours for the alcohol to clear your system.

“The rule is simple. If you’ve been drinking, don’t drive and if you’re driving, don’t drink. If in any doubt, self-test with a personal breathalyser to ensure you’re clear of alcohol before getting behind the wheel. One in five drink drive convictions are in the morning”.

Even with just 10mg per 100mL of alcohol in your blood (one eighth of the legal limit in England and Wales) you are 37% more likely to be involved in a fatal accident.

Government figures estimate that 6,480 people are killed or injured nationally in drink drive accidents, with drunk drivers accounting for 15% of road deaths every year.