PSNI data shows Belfast, Armagh, and Derry City had the highest number of drink/drug driving arrests in Northern Ireland.
Legal Expert got data using Freedom of Information requests. It revealed PSNI arrested 9,413 drivers since 2021. These drivers were under the influence, and eighty-three percent of those arrests led to charges.
The PSNI shared the areas with the most offenses. Belfast had the most with 429 drivers charged, followed by Armagh City, Banbridge & Craigavon with 316. Derry City & Strabane had 254, while Mid Ulster saw 246 charges.
The most common age for arrestees was 30-49. Fifty-five percent of arrests were in that age group, while eighteen to twenty-nine year olds made up 24%. Eighty-one percent of arrested drivers were male.
Of the UK police forces, PSNI reported the second-highest arrests for this offense over the last three years. Department for Transport data reveals troubling news as UK drink-driving deaths hit a 13-year high in 2022.
About 300 deaths involved a drunk driver in 2022. That’s the highest since 2009, and 16% higher than 2021. This means drunk driving caused 18% of all deaths, reversing the trend of safer roads.