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Driving Under Influence

Volume 506: debated on Tuesday 23 February 2010

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many breathalyser tests were conducted by the police on drivers in each police force area in each year since 1998; and how many people (a) passed, (b) failed and (c) refused to take that test in each such area in each such year. (317949)

The figures requested are shown in the following tables. The latest published year is 2007. Figures for tests failed and refusals are combined as they are not reported separately to the Home Office.

Number of breath tests carried out, by police force area, 1998 to 2007

Police force area

1998

1999

2000

2001

2002

2003

2004

2005

2006

2007

Avon and Somerset

19,695

19,247

15,805

15372

15,140

24,492

27,297

21,928

15,779

15,655

Bedfordshire

5,295

2,886

3,262

4,212

6,150

6,633

7,764

6,704

3,093

2,578

Cambridgeshire

17,800

13,600

12,800

12,700

13,000

12,300

12,300

12,500

12,500

12,000

Cheshire

23,315

20,505

15,800

13,586

12,224

11,854

20,155

22,005

35,747

32,210

Cleveland

34,181

28,601

18,818

14,054

10,995

8,716

8,056

10,826

11,308

10,140

Cumbria

9,361

7,083

6,076

5,089

4,694

5,513

8,430

13,577

13,804

16,217

Derbyshire

35,684

49,237

52,001

42,147

37,931

32,570

31,023

17,685

16,019

15,873

Devon and Cornwall

15,695

14,731

12,977

13,478

12,618

10,914

10,690

10,423

13,562

16,687

Dorset

10,056

9,203

12,298

10,424

10,431

8,464

6,938

7,917

8,706

8,038

Durham

7,350

12,668

15,306

16,322

9,535

7,558

6,080

7,734

6,945

8,160

Dyfed-Powys

9,232

9,922

7,381

7,008

7,344

5,982

6,686

6,917

7,291

9,429

Essex

28,358

24,077

27,179

18,851

16,139

15,481

25,337

34,249

28,436

25,946

Gloucestershire

9,335

8,330

8,202

9,646

9,339

8,647

7,144

9,122

10,090

8,262

Greater Manchester

31,175

21,479

27,300

23,939

23,200

20,900

19,900

18,900

18,100

18,025

Gwent

11,211

10,639

10,133

6,428

3,784

2,794

1,632

1,957

1,702

2,374

Hampshire

27,348

31,552

35,243

35,189

35,219

37,529

38,399

38,323

34,772

26,208

Hertfordshire

8,147

6,959

5,963

5,460

4,289

4,011

7,289

11,900

12,693

12,030

Humberside

8,284

8,057

9,371

7,477

8,714

6,545

5,619

5,717

10,009

11,885

Kent

27,528

32,706

32,189

32,229

34,165

24,553

32,019

31,187

31,684

28,629

Lancashire

20,283

19,075

15,542

10,016

10,562

7,981

10,204

12,990

16,359

19,158

Leicestershire

20,161

21,127

18,751

14,891

14,526

12,007

15,799

14,419

9,980

6,644

Lincolnshire

25,917

20,998

12,101

13,593

9,013

12,076

11,310

11,431

10,581

14,722

London, City of

3,309

1,746

1,056

1,085

1,413

1,237

683

1,117

1,553

1,375

Merseyside

18,671

18,619

12,787

7,169

6,952

7,722

5,019

8,003

10,642

12,829

Metropolitan Police

111,448

99,832

93,807

65,084

57,206

55,993

61,535

67,461

65,025

66,919

Norfolk

12,419

11,641

9,074

9,096

5,304

4,030

4,805

10,367

7,844

6,366

North Wales

15,236

15,862

14,960

15,141

19,597

17,337

24,177

21,812

19,597

23,034

North Yorkshire

9,911

8,090

6,731

7,431

7,284

8,254

8,589

9,339

10,129

10,526

Northamptonshire

4,664

5,333

5,799

4,539

3,343

3,126

3,200

5,196

4,259

4,076

Northumbria

12,183

12,496

12,727

12,368

11,796

11,123

9,776

9,301

7,992

7,392

Nottinghamshire

8,880

8,361

8,382

7,682

5,799

7,146

8,241

7,923

7,172

7,250

South Wales

24,886

20,674

17,772

19,329

17,496

16,863

16,733

16,269

17,087

19,013

South Yorkshire

12,614

16,094

19,243

18,017

14,414

12,117

6,494

13,689

10,267

11,390

Staffordshire

15,428

10,148

7,706

4,706

5,261

5,073

13,666

14,322

12,723

12,369

Suffolk

15,636

15,134

9,159

8,588

8,868

11,566

10,569

8,854

9,059

10,435

Surrey

11,364

11,696

12,393

13,311

7,504

8,858

9,484

9,605

8,278

6,915

Sussex

17,395

17,885

20,845

21,805

17,297

17,150

15,210

17,983

18,742

16,805

Thames Valley

34,151

30,273

30,824

26,158

25,308

16,049

15,363

14,629

13,538

14,850

Warwickshire

8,661

8,604

7,057

5,828

5,068

5,848

5,496

4,820

4,458

4,877

West Mercia

19,090

12,340

8,930

9,070

8,215

6,289

7,991

8,833

11,267

10,438

West Midlands

24,099

21,324

16,221

12,203

10,510

10,960

6,579

6,900

6,229

5,611

West Yorkshire

22,894

18,807

18,278

17,219

16,739

14,157

16,921

15,367

18,011

18,724

Wiltshire

7,118

6,841

6,501

5,941

5,850

5,867

7,398

7,167

8,708

7,688

England and Wales

815,468

764,482

714,750

623,881

570,236

534,285

578,000

607,368

601,740

599,752

Note:

Figures do not always match those in each year’s breath test statistics publication, due to subsequent amendments being incorporated.

Number of breath tests passed1, by police force area, 1998 to 2007

Police force area

1998

1999

2000

2001

2002

2003

2004

2005

2006

2007

Avon and Somerset

16,646

16,032

12,761

12,502

12,096

21,195

24,269

18,746

13,044

13,210

Bedfordshire

4,451

2,116

2,543

3,500

5,269

5,517

6,621

5,762

2,162

1,518

Cambridgeshire

16,527

12,458

11,707

11,591

11,714

11,041

11,045

11,187

11,037

10,595

Cheshire

21,733

18,856

13,330

11,017

9,802

9,459

17,725

20,048

33,548

30,164

Cleveland

33,262

27,754

18,020

13,209

10,215

7,626

7,382

10,094

10,484

9,517

Cumbria

8,571

6,522

5,477

4,350

4,157

4,865

7,747

12,758

13,011

15,406

Derbyshire

33,891

47,382

50,324

40,562

36,262

30,893

28,894

16,360

14,892

14,877

Devon and Cornwall

13,466

12,046

10,369

10,697

9,677

7,955

7,887

7,851

10,945

14,443

Dorset

8,545

7,926

10,914

8,852

8,853

6,756

5,255

6,109

6,823

6,210

Durham

6,137

11,731

14,290

15,237

8,429

6,423

4,869

6,661

5,890

7,191

Dyfed-Powys

8,131

8,904

6,538

6,071

6,311

4,894

5,625

5,922

6,309

8,542

Essex

25,659

21,349

24,751

16,242

13,452

12,727

22,354

31,536

25,648

23,437

Gloucestershire

8,005

7,036

6,827

8,209

7,811

7,215

5,863

7,804

8,565

6,908

Greater Manchester

24,749

16,680

18,767

16,179

15,800

13,800

13,600

13,500

12,790

12,800

Gwent

10,112

9,594

9,120

5,179

2,667

1,530

377

753

422

1,291

Hampshire

23,647

27,795

31,578

31,293

31,226

33,532

34,597

34,046

31,051

21,695

Hertfordshire

6,172

5,076

3,973

3,376

2,254

1,936

5,261

10,032

10,827

10,146

Humberside

6,756

6,848

8,125

6,363

7,535

5,003

4,912

4,979

8,448

10,833

Kent

24,448

29,234

29,190

29,078

31,178

21,570

28,841

29,012

29,447

26,876

Lancashire

18,373

17,221

13,942

7,548

9,102

5,099

7,308

10,129

13,410

16,471

Leicestershire

17,883

19,128

16,709

12,733

12,144

9,727

13,577

12,465

8,121

4,746

Lincolnshire

24,991

20,137

11,318

12,903

8,158

11,011

10,372

10,436

9,420

13,621

London, City of

2,840

1,448

814

802

1,126

998

547

933

1,303

1,166

Merseyside

16,179

16,382

10,587

5,038

4,649

5,423

2,738

5,913

8,676

10,898

Metropolitan Police

96,642

88,476

84,035

53,003

43,458

39,944

45,816

50,784

46,578

49,646

Norfolk

11,525

10,805

8,316

7,931

4,366

2,822

3,816

9,321

6,455

5,163

North Wales

13,719

14,319

13,388

13,746

18,107

15,974

22,743

20,442

18,455

21,313

North Yorkshire

8,431

6,766

5,589

6,294

6,109

7,085

7,095

7,917

8,846

9,246

Northamptonshire

3,462

4,082

4,360

3,132

2,027

1,861

1,985

4,063

2,931

2,755

Northumbria

8,950

8,974

9,294

9,013

8,787

8,543

7,592

6,669

5,355

5,001

Nottinghamshire

6,503

5,917

6,025

5,370

3,674

4,690

5,733

5,478

4,852

4,992

South Wales

21,685

17,980

15,097

16,275

14,591

13,860

13,713

13,284

14,305

16,538

South Yorkshire

10,944

14,102

17,045

16,073

12,396

10,324

4,075

9,977

7,413

8,768

Staffordshire

13,328

8,330

6,492

3,080

3,450

3,224

11,774

12,452

10,917

10,688

Suffolk

14,458

14,019

8,352

7,632

7,833

10,234

9,372

7,837

8,054

9,645

Surrey

10,096

10,102

10,826

11,792

6,386

7,917

8,417

8,562

7,408

6,214

Sussex

15,431

15,938

19,050

19,665

15,486

15,158

13,017

15,752

16,519

15,010

Thames Valley

29,194

25,363

25,508

21,464

17,618

9,746

11,398

8,756

9,717

11,362

Warwickshire

7,785

7,591

6,119

4,890

4,137

4,983

4,758

4,035

3,869

4,456

West Mercia

17,565

10,791

6,717

6,820

5,966

3,870

5,561

6,137

8,762

8,261

West Midlands

17,999

16,111

12,268

7,548

5,470

6,195

1,749

1,981

1,645

1,388

West Yorkshire

18,202

14,947

14,158

13,255

12,247

10,594

12,633

10,681

12,083

12,297

Wiltshire

6,036

5,830

5,514

4,819

4,765

4,717

6,067

5,920

7,573

6,858

England and Wales

713,129

670,098

620,127

524,333

466,760

427,936

474,980

503,084

498,010

502,162

1 Figures derived by subtracting numbers of positive/refused from total tests conducted.

Note:

Figures do not always match those in each year’s breath test statistics publication, due to subsequent amendments being incorporated.

Number of breath tests positive or refused1, by police force area, 1998 to 2007

Police force area

1998

1999

2000

2001

2002

2003

2004

2005

2006

2007

Avon and Somerset

3,049

3,215

3,044

2,870

3,044

3,297

3,028

3,182

2,735

2,445

Bedfordshire

844

770

719

712

881

1,116

1,143

942

931

1,060

Cambridgeshire

1,273

1,142

1,093

1,109

1,286

1,259

1,255

1,313

1,463

1,405

Cheshire

1,582

1,649

2,470

2,569

2,422

2,395

2,430

1,957

2,199

2,046

Cleveland

919

847

798

845

780

1,090

674

732

824

623

Cumbria

790

561

599

739

537

648

683

819

793

811

Derbyshire

1,793

1,855

1,677

1,585

1,669

1,677

2,129

1,325

1,127

996

Devon and Cornwall

2,229

2,685

2,608

2,781

2,941

2,959

2,803

2,572

2,617

2,244

Dorset

1,511

1,277

1,384

1,572

1,578

1,708

1,683

1,808

1,883

1,828

Durham

1,213

937

1,016

1,085

1,106

1,135

1,211

1,073

1,055

969

Dyfed-Powys

1,101

1,018

843

937

1,033

1,088

1,061

995

982

887

Essex

2,699

2,728

2,428

2,609

2,687

2,754

2,983

2,713

2,788

2,509

Gloucestershire

1,330

1,294

1,375

1,437

1,528

1,432

1,281

1,318

1,525

1,354

Greater Manchester

6,426

4,799

8,533

7,760

7,400

7,100

6,300

5,400

5,310

5,225

Gwent

1,099

1,045

1,013

1,249

1,117

1,264

1,255

1,204

1,280

1,083

Hampshire

3,701

3,757

3,665

3,896

3,993

3,997

3,802

4,277

3,721

4,513

Hertfordshire

1,975

1,883

1,990

2,084

2,035

2,075

2,028

1,868

1,866

1,884

Humberside

1,528

1,209

1,246

1,114

1,179

1,542

707

738

1,561

1,052

Kent

3,080

3,472

2,999

3,151

2,987

2,983

3,178

2,175

2,237

1,753

Lancashire

1,910

1,854

1,600

2,468

1,460

2,882

2,896

2,861

2,949

2,687

Leicestershire

2,278

1,999

2,042

2,158

2,382

2,280

2,222

1,954

1,859

1,898

Lincolnshire

926

861

783

690

855

1,065

938

995

1,161

1,101

London, City of

469

298

242

283

287

239

136

184

250

209

Merseyside

2,492

2,237

2,200

2,131

2,303

2,299

2,281

2,090

1,966

1,931

Metropolitan Police

14,806

11,356

9,772

12,081

13,748

16,049

15,719

16,677

18,447

17,273

Norfolk

894

836

758

1,165

938

1,208

989

1,046

1,389

1,203

North Wales

1,517

1,543

1,572

1,395

1,490

1,363

1,434

1,370

1,142

1,721

North Yorkshire

1,480

1,324

1,142

1,137

1,175

1,169

1,494

1,422

1,283

1,280

Northamptonshire

1,202

1,251

1,439

1,407

1,316

1,265

1,215

1,133

1,328

1,321

Northumbria

3,233

3,522

3,433

3,355

3,009

2,580

2,184

2,632

2,637

2,391

Nottinghamshire

2,377

2,444

2,357

2,312

2,125

2,456

2,508

2,445

2,320

2,258

South Wales

3,201

2,694

2,675

3,054

2,905

3,003

3,020

2,985

2,782

2,475

South Yorkshire

1,670

1,992

2,198

1,944

2,018

1,793

2,419

3,712

2,854

2,622

Staffordshire

2,100

1,818

1,214

1,626

1,811

1,849

1,892

1,870

1,806

1,681

Suffolk

1,178

1,115

807

956

1,035

1,332

1,197

1,017

1,005

790

Surrey

1,268

1,594

1,567

1,519

1,118

941

1,067

1,043

870

701

Sussex

1,964

1,947

1,795

2,140

1,811

1,992

2,193

2,231

2,223

1,795

Thames Valley

4,957

4,910

5,316

4,694

7,690

6,303

3,965

5,873

3,821

3,488

Warwickshire

876

1,013

938

938

931

865

738

785

589

421

West Mercia

1,525

1,549

2,213

2,250

2,249

2,419

2,430

2,696

2,505

2,177

West Midlands

6,100

5,213

3,953

4,655

5,040

4,765

4,830

4,919

4,584

4,223

West Yorkshire

4,692

3,860

4,120

3,964

4,492

3,563

4,288

4,686

5,928

6,427

Wiltshire

1,082

1,011

987

1,122

1,085

1,150

1,331

1,247

1,135

830

England and Wales

102,339

94,384

94,623

99,548

103,476

106,349

103,020

104,284

103,730

97,590

1 Separate figures for positive (failed) and refused not collected.

Note:

Figures do not always match those in each year’s breath test statistics publication, due to subsequent amendments being incorporated.