The UK’s biggest drink driving hotspots - where does your region rank?
North East England and Wales found to be among the UK’s worst places for drink driving, while Greater London is among the safest
New research has revealed that North East England could be the UK’s biggest hotspot for drink driving, indicating that the region’s motorists are at the highest risk of encountering reckless road users.*
The figures come from Go.Compare car insurance, which reviewed how many policies bought through its site in each region were taken out by motorists with a drink driving conviction. In total, one in every 226 policies bought in the North East was for a convicted drink driver, the highest proportion of any region in the UK.
Wales was found to be the UK’s second-largest hotspot, where one in every 232 policies bought was for a driver with a drink driving conviction. The East Midlands had the third-largest proportion, at one in every 253 policies bought.
At the other end of the scale, Greater London was found to have the lowest proportion, indicating that the capital and surrounding areas are among the nation’s safest when it comes to intoxicated drivers. Only one in every 434 policies the comparison site sold to the region’s drivers was for someone with a drink driving conviction on their record.
Scottish drivers had the next lowest proportion, where one in every 412 policies sold was for a motorist with a drink driving conviction, while Northern Ireland had the third-lowest proportion, at one in every 373 drivers.
|
Region |
Proportion of car insurance policies with a drink driving conviction bought via Go.Compare |
|
North East |
1:226 |
|
Wales |
1:232 |
|
East Midlands |
1:253 |
|
South West |
1:276 |
|
North West |
1:286 |
|
West Midlands |
1:328 |
|
South East |
1:348 |
|
Northern Ireland |
1:373 |
|
Scotland |
1:412 |
|
Greater London |
1:434 |
Go.Compare also examined the data for some of the UK’s major cities, including Manchester, Cardiff and Birmingham, to see how many policies were held by drivers with a drink driving conviction. The highest proportion was in Nottingham, where one in every 191 policies sold was for a drink driver. London again had the lowest proportion, where one in every 585 policies was for someone with this conviction.
|
City |
Proportion of car insurance policies with a drink driving conviction bought via Go.Compare |
|
Nottingham |
1:191 |
|
Cardiff |
1:199 |
|
Leicester |
1:247 |
|
Leeds |
1:271 |
|
Bristol |
1:290 |
|
Sheffield |
1:297 |
|
Manchester |
1:317 |
|
Liverpool |
1:333 |
|
Birmingham |
1:467 |
|
London |
1:585 |
Tom Banks, motoring expert at Go.Compare car insurance, commented: "Drink driving is obviously one of the most dangerous decisions you can make as a motorist, yet thousands do so every year. As well as putting your own and other road users’ safety at risk, drink driving can have multiple long-term consequences, from higher car insurance premiums to losing your licence or even being given jail time. We, of course, would urge anyone considering driving while under the influence not to do so - staying sober or travelling via alternative means could save someone’s life.
“Based on our figures, the issue is more prominent in certain places, with motorists in the North East appearing to be especially at risk of encountering these dangerous drivers. If you think you have seen a drink driver, consider reporting them as soon as it’s safe to do so. Some of the biggest signs include swerving, failing to follow simple driving rules and excessive braking and acceleration.”
More information on the consequences of drink driving can be found on Go.Compare’s website.
//ENDS//
Contact Information
Alex McCormick
Notes to editors
*Based on the number of drink driving offences from car insurance sales made through Go.Compare between 1st October 2024 to 30th September 2025, broken down by town and postcode region.
For further information please contact:
Front Door Communications at knock.knock@fdcomms.co.uk
Keep up to date with Go.Compare on Twitter: @GoCompare or you can call 02920 020360
About Go.Compare
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When it launched in 2006, it was the first comparison site to focus on displaying policy details rather than just listing prices, with the aim of helping people to make better-informed decisions when buying their insurance. It is this approach to comparing products that secured the company an invitation to join the British Insurance Brokers’ Association (BIBA) in 2008, and it is still the only comparison site to be a member of this organisation.
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