Police 'breath test fewer drivers'

14/09/11

Katrina McLachlan

There has been a fall in the number of motorists being breathalysed by police, it has been claimed.

The Daily Telegraph reports that in May this year, breath test figures were 24 per cent lower than over the same period in 2010.

Data obtained under Freedom of Information also revealed that fewer officers are being assigned to policing the roads, as cuts have left chief constables looking to cut back.

Traffic officer numbers have been reduced in 20 of the 35 forces who responded to requests, with the fall averaging at 4.3 per cent.

The policing figures come as official data reveals there has been a rise in the number of people killed or seriously injured on Britain's roads for the first time in four years.

Robert Gifford, executive director of the Parliamentary Advisory Council for Transport Safety, said: "Roads policing is a key contribution to cutting casualties. Reductions in police officers will result in increases in risk on our roads."