Drink driving spike in December, as more than 4,000 caught in the whole of 2018

More than 4,000 drink drivers were caught in 2018

Cases of drink-driving in our region increased dramatically last December - compared to the rest of the year.

4,254 motorists were caught behind the wheel while under the influence for the whole of 2018.

But Christmas season topped the list for the biggest proportion of offences, with more than 400 taking place in December.

Data from Confused.com shows that a third of drivers believe they would be safe to get behind the wheel after two or more drinks.

On top of that, two in five people admit to driving even when they think they're over the limit.

Many cases come on "the morning after", where people are still over the limit the following day - and aren't aware of it.

Amanda Stretton, motoring editor at Confused.com, says: "With many of us enjoying celebrations with friends and family, we need to clue up on the drink-drive laws, as it's clear so many people are taking the risk and driving after a drink. 

"And as our experiment shows, sometimes even one drink is enough to push us over the limit.

"Surprisingly, the morning after seems to be a prime time for drink-drivers. But how long do we need to wait before we can drive? Working out units versus hours passed is confusing at the best of times, so we've released our morning after calculator to estimate when you should be safe to drive.

"Ultimately, jumping behind the wheel after a drink is putting yourself and other road users at risk. Not only this but it can land you with a fine or driving ban. If you're drinking, don't drive. If you're driving, don't drink."

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