Stiff-drink drivers get soft sentence

Hundreds of drivers are still legally driving on UK roads despite being convicted of drink driving, according to new research from LV= car insurance.

A Freedom of Information request by LV= shows that 55,539 people were convicted of drink driving in 2010 in England and Wales and yet 1480 of these - or three in every hundred - were not disqualified from driving. A similar number (2.6%) were cautioned or convicted of more than one drink driving offence within the same year, suggesting that those who are not banned will go on to offend again.

Despite high profile campaigns to warn drivers about the dangers of getting behind the wheel after drinking, consumer research confirms that it is still a widespread problem. Two thirds (65%) of people say they know someone who drives after consuming alcohol, with almost a quarter (24%) saying they know people who drive even after drinking enough alcohol to take them over the legal limit.

Selwyn Fernandes, Managing Director of LV= car insurance, said:

"Driving while under the influence of alcohol is a serious offence and leads to automatic disqualification in the majority of cases. Few people realise how little it takes to compromise their driving ability and underestimate how much alcohol affects them. As we approach the Christmas party season, it is imperative that drivers know their legal limit and stick to it."