Drink-drive deaths have increased in the UK, despite having fallen in many other European countries, according to the latest research.
A report by the European Transport Safety Council (ETSC) found that deaths caused by drink driving increased by 1% in Britain between 1997 and 2005.
There were 560 road fatalities linked to alcohol in Britain in 2005, which represented 18% of the nation’s total road accident fatalities.
The group found that out of the 18 countries surveyed, over half showed reductions in drink-related deaths, with the Czech Republic showing the biggest drop of 12% for the period.
Germany saw deaths caused by drunk driving fall by 10%, dropping to 399 fatalities in 2005, which made up 5% of the total car-crash fatalities.
The study reported that Spain, Finland and Lithuania also registered annual increases of between 1% and 2%, while the Netherlands, Poland, France, Latvia, Slovakia, Denmark, Switzerland, Estonia, Greece and Slovenia all saw drunk-driving related deaths fall.
The Brussels-based group called for stricter enforcements of legal blood alcohol limits, coupled with awareness-raising campaigns.
European Commission regulators recommend an alcohol limit of 50 milligrams per 100 millilitres of blood, while the legal limit in the UK is 80 milligrams.
Jorg Beckmann, executive director of ETSC, said: “Today, alcohol checks are more of an exception than a rule, and too few countries apply the strategies that have proven to work.”
