Drink driving is often associated with Christmas parties and the festive season, but new figures suggest that August drink driving may present an even greater problem.
Analysis by the RAC has revealed that August is the worst month of the year for drink drive crashes in Britain. Between 2014 and 2024, an average of 721 people were killed or injured in drink drive collisions during August. This was higher than the December average of 663 casualties.
Longer evenings, holidays, festivals, barbecues and summer socialising may all increase opportunities for alcohol consumption before driving.
What Does This Mean for Drink Driving Cases?
An alcohol reading can appear straightforward, but the scientific evidence behind a drink driving prosecution may require careful interpretation.
For defence solicitors, questions can arise around:
✔Whether a defendant’s stated alcohol consumption is consistent with the evidential reading.
✔Whether alcohol was consumed after driving but before the evidential test.
✔What the defendant’s alcohol concentration may have been at the actual time of driving.
✔Whether the correct procedures were followed when obtaining breath, blood or urine samples.
✔Whether medical, physiological or analytical factors could have affected the interpretation of the evidence.
These issues can become particularly important where the timing of drinking or driving is disputed.
How Can a Forensic Drink Driving Expert Help?
An independent drink driving forensic expert can review the evidence and provide an objective scientific opinion on whether the prosecution findings are consistent with the circumstances described.
Bericon Forensics provides forensic expert assistance to criminal defence solicitors throughout the UK.
Our alcohol experts can assist with back calculations, post-incident drinking, stated alcohol consumption and the interpretation of breath, blood and urine evidence.
Where required, our experts can also prepare reports for court proceedings and attend court to give expert evidence.
Find out more about our drink driving expert services.
Drink Driving: Look Beyond the Reading
The latest figures are a reminder that drink driving is not simply a Christmas issue. August appears to bring its own significant increase in alcohol-related road casualties.
For solicitors dealing with an drink driving allegation, the evidential reading should be considered alongside the circumstances of the case, the defendant’s account and the underlying forensic evidence. Where the scientific interpretation could affect the case, an independent forensic review may provide important clarification.
