Fall in number of alcohol breath tests by Bedfordshire police

Police officers in Bedfordshire carried out 37% fewer alcohol breath tests on drivers last year than a decade previously, figures show.

Home Office figures show 3,442 breath tests were conducted by Bedfordshire Police in 2019 – 37% fewer than in 2009, when there were 5,447.

Of those last year, drivers failed or refused to provide 141 – 4% of all tests.

The number of tests reached its lowest in 2018, when there were 2,410.

Across England and Wales, the number of roadside tests fell to 285,000 in 2019 – their lowest level since comparable records began in 2002.

This is down 12% from the previous year and a reduction of 57% from the peak of 670,000 tests in 2009.

Across the two nations, motorists refused or failed 47,223 – 17% of all tests, which was the highest rate since 2005.

The AA said the decline in roadside tests across England and Wales was "worrying" and blamed police cuts for the record low number.

AA president Edmund King blamed the “massive reduction in the number of specialist traffic officers” for the reduction in testing.

He added said: “While cameras are a useful tool in helping police our roads, we cannot solely rely on them.

“A camera cannot stop a drink-driver, or pull over someone driving carelessly, so having more cops in cars will help eliminate poor and dangerous driving.

“The lack of roads police has led to drivers thinking they can get away with certain offences.”

A recent report by the parliamentary advisory council for transport safety found that the number of officers dedicated to roads policing in England and Wales fell by nearly a fifth between 2015 and 2019.

The latest Department for Transport figures show there were 5,890 crashes on Britain’s roads involving at least one driver over the alcohol limit in 2018 - a figure which has stayed largely the same for the past six years.

Chief Inspector Rebecca Rowley-Smith, Head of the Roads Policing Unit for Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire said: “Drink driving is extremely serious and we are committed to bringing all offenders across the three forces to justice.

"Breathalyser tests are always carried out when a motorist is suspected of driving under the influence of alcohol.

"We also continue to work hard with our partners to raise public awareness about the dangers of drink driving and next month marks the start of our annual drink drive campaign when our officers will be out in force, proactively tackling this important issue.”

Police can make someone take a breath test if they suspect they have been driving, or trying to drive, with alcohol in their body.

They can also order one if the driver has committed a traffic offence while their vehicle is moving, or if they have been involved in an accident.

It is a crime to refuse a breath test, unless the driver has a reasonable excuse, such as a medical condition.

The Home Office data also showed that five tests were carried out in Bedfordshire for every 1,000 people – below the average, of six, across England and Wales.

The Government said drivers being more aware of the law and police prosecuting under more serious offences could be some of the reasons why numbers are falling.

A spokeswoman added: “Enforcement is only one way in which we ensure our roads remain amongst the safest in the world, with a robust regulator system to ensure drivers are properly trained and vehicles are adequately maintained.

“How roads policing is undertaken and how available resources are deployed is the responsibility of individual chief officers and police and crime commissioners.”