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Driving Offences: Sentencing

Volume 474: debated on Wednesday 26 March 2008

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many (a) arrests and (b) convictions for drink-driving offences resulted in a custodial sentence in each of the last 10 years, broken down by (i) specific offence, (ii) age and (iii) sex. (194756)

Table 1 sets out the number of arrests for drink driving offences from 1998 to 2007. Breakdown by gender is available from 2002-07. However, the only information recorded on age is the average age of those arrested.

Table 2 sets out the number of convictions for drink driving offences which have resulted in a custodial sentence in each of the last 10 years, 2006 being the latest available.

Table 3 sets out the number of convictions for drink driving offences resulting in a custodial sentence categorised by age in each of the last 10 years, 2006 being the latest available.

Table 4 sets out the number of convictions for drink driving offences resulting in a custodial sentence categorised by gender in each of the last 10 years, 2006 being the latest available.

Table 1: Breakdown of number of arrests 2002-07

Male

Female

Average age

2007

3,866

478

33

2006

4,145

512

33

2005

3,992

443

34

2004

3,489

388

34

2003

3,142

349

33

2002

2,145

283

32

Total number of arrests 1998 to 2001

Number

2001

4,271

2000

5,284

1999

5,025

1998

4,711

Table 2

Offence

2006

2005

2004

2003

2002

2001

2000

1999

1998

1997

In charge of vehicle while under the influence of alcohol/drugs

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

Failing to provide specimen of blood/urine—major accident

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

Driving with excess alcohol

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

4

1

0

In charge with excess alcohol

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

2

1

0

Driving with excess alcohol—blood/urine

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

1

0

0

In charge with excess alcohol—blood/urine

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

Failing to provide specimen of breath—driving

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

Failing to provide specimen of breath—attempting to drive

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

Failing to provide specimen of blood/urine—minor accident

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

Driving when unfit through drink or drugs

5

5

3

8

4

2

5

12

15

8

Attempting to drive when unfit through drink or drugs

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

In charge when unfit through drink or drugs

1

0

0

0

1

0

1

1

0

0

Driving with excess alcohol in breath

9

14

5

11

3

11

4

5

4

14

Attempting to drive with excess alcohol in breath

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

In charge with excess alcohol in breath

0

2

0

0

0

1

2

1

0

0

Driving with excess alcohol in blood

0

0

4

3

2

5

2

3

1

3

Attempting to drive with excess alcohol in blood

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

In charge with excess alcohol in blood

0

0

0

2

0

0

0

0

0

0

Driving with excess alcohol in urine

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

In charge with excess alcohol in urine

0

0

0

0

0

1

0

0

0

0

Failing to provide specimen of breath for preliminary test

0

1

0

0

0

0

0

1

2

0

Failing to provide specimen of breath for analysis

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

1

1

Failing to provide specimen of blood or urine for analysis

0

0

0

0

0

0

1

0

0

1

Failing to provide specimen when driving unfit

0

1

2

3

2

0

0

3

2

0

Failing to provide specimen when attempting to drive unfit

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

Failing to provide specimen when in charge unfit

0

0

0

0

0

0

1

0

1

0

Failing to provide specimen when driving with excess alcohol

0

0

1

1

0

1

0

0

0

0

Failing to provide specimen when attempting to drive unfit

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

Failing to provide specimen when in charge with excess alcohol

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

Causing death by driving carelessly when unfit

1

1

1

0

1

0

0

1

0

0

Causing GBI by driving carelessly when unfit

3

1

2

1

1

1

3

1

0

0

Causing death or GBI by driving carelessly- excess alcohol

1

0

0

1

0

1

2

1

0

0

Causing death by inconsiderate driving with excess alcohol

1

0

1

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

Causing GBI by driving carelessly with excess alcohol

3

3

0

1

0

0

0

0

0

0

Causing death—driving carelessly, failing to provide specimen

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

Causing GBI—driving carelessly, failing to provide specimen

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

Total

24

28

19

31

14

23

21

36

28

27

Table 3

Age (years)

2006

2005

2004

2003

2002

2001

2000

1999

1998

1997

0 to 17

1

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

18 to 24

3

10

2

9

7

7

3

12

12

12

25 to 39

16

6

9

11

4

11

15

15

9

14

40 to 59

3

12

8

11

3

5

3

6

6

1

60 +

1

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

1

0

Not recorded

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

3

0

0

Total

24

28

19

31

14

23

21

36

28

27

Table 4

Sex

2006

2005

2004

2003

2002

2001

2000

1990

1998

1997

Male

23

28

19

30

14

21

21

35

28

27

Female

1

0

0

1

0

2

0

1

0

0

Total

24

28

19

31

14

23

21

36

28

27

PSNI data on numbers of arrests are not directly comparable with statistics on convictions, as the offence recorded initially may differ from that which is used in court.