A price comparison site has revealed the best and worst postcodes for drink and drug-driving convictions.
Before this year's season of festivities gets underway, a price comparison site has revealed the postcodes with the highest and lowest rates of drink or drug- driving convictions as a reminder to leave the car at home if you plan on getting 'merry'.
MoneySuperMarket, the UK's number one price comparison site, analysed over 11 million car insurance quotes over the last year to discover that Llandrindod Wells (an LD postcode) is home to the highest proportion of motorists with points on their licence for drink and drug-driving offences, with 1.9 drivers in 1,000 disclosing this information.
The rate in the rural Welsh LD postcode is more than double of that among motorists living in some areas of Greater London. Blackpool, the stag and hen-do capital of the north, came in second and Crewe third, with rates of 1.85 and 1.8 respectively.
Aberdeen (AB) had 1.5 per 1,000 drivers, representing a year-on-year increase of 27 per cent, which was the biggest rise recorded. Other Scottish postcodes, such as Inverness (IV), Kirkcaldy (KY), Dundee (DD) and Galashiels (TD) also feature in the top 20, as do Swansea (SA), Cardiff (CF) and Newport (NP) in Wales.
Kevin Pratt, car insurance expert at MoneySuperMarket, said that everyone should know that getting behind the wheel after consuming alcohol or drugs is wrong, as it puts the lives of other road users at risk. Being caught can also have massive financial and social consequences, such as being fined and losing a job.
He added: "So why do people still get behind the wheel with a drink inside them? In a rural location such as Llandrindod Wells it could be the lack of public transport and the misguided belief they won’t get caught.
"Or maybe motorists are driving the morning after the night before, when they still have excess alcohol in their system. Whatever the circumstances, the fact remains that driving while over the limit is always illegal – there is simply no excuse."
Ten out of the top 20 for the fewest convictions are within the M25 and on the periphery of central London, suggesting good transport links can have an effect on a driver's decision to get behind the wheel after having a few drinks or doing drugs.
East London came out on top, with a rate of 0.76 per 1,000, closely followed by North West London (0.79 per 1,000) and North London postcodes (0.8 per 1,000).
Posted by Bob Fletcher