Hundreds of people killed or injured in drink driving incidents across region over just three years

Office for Health Improvement and Disparities figures show 53 people were killed or injured in a crash in Walsall where there was a failed breathalyser test, or the driver refused to take one, between 2018 and 2020.

It was 59 people in Sandwell, 38 in Dudley and 70 in Wolverhampton.

Meanwhile, drink driving accounted for a higher proportion of road casualties in Staffordshire over the three years than almost anywhere else in England, with the figures showing the number killed or injured to be 198.

The Campaign Against Drink Driving said the more than 14,000 casualties across the country shows there are "many people who need to be educated about the perils of drink and drug driving".

Operation Lightning is Staffordshire Police’s dedicated operation focusing on road safety, helping to make our county’s roads safer.

It aims to reduce the number of deaths and serious injuries on the roads of Staffordshire and to disrupt and deter criminals from using the road network.

Bosses have warned of the dangers of driving even after a small amount of alcohol.

A spokesman for Staffordshire Police said: "You might think that one or two drinks won’t matter but even a small amount of alcohol can affect your ability to drive safely so the best advice is to make alternative travel plans or avoid alcohol completely if you are driving.

"You are more likely to be involved in a crash if you drink drive. Alcohol makes people’s reactions slower and makes processing information more difficult so when driving this can impact on decision making and reactions times, which puts drivers, passengers and other road users at risk.

"The consequences of drink driving are serious and can include: a minimum 12 month driving ban, a criminal record, a hefty fine up to six months in prison and an endorsement on your licence for 11 years. These can also result in increased car insurance costs, loss of job etc.

"If you know someone is drink or drug driving please report it, providing as much information and detail as possible so they can be investigated. You can report them online or by calling 101.

"Alternatively if you wish to remain anonymous, you can contact the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111. If there is an immediate risk to the public always call 999."

Nationally, 14,018 people were killed or injured in a drink driving collision between 2018 and 2020 – 3.6 per cent of the total number of casualties on the country's roads.

The latest figures include 2020, during which successive lockdowns reduced driving activity.

Rural communities tended to have higher drink-drive casualty rates, while they were lower in urban areas.

John Scruby, trustee of the Campaign Against Drink Driving and a former police officer who has spent the last 42 years trying to prevent deaths and injuries on England's roads, said the fall in casualties is welcome news, but that more must be done to educate people about the perils of drink and drug driving, adding: "Education is the key factor to prevent drink and drug driving."

Mr Scruby also said greater enforcement is needed, but that it is the "final option" and has become more difficult following the decline in the number of dedicated road policing officers in the last 10 years.

The Home Office said it is putting more police on the streets to keep communities safe.