Reported road casualties in Great Britain, involving illegal alcohol levels: 2021

Organisation: Department for Transport (DfT)

Date of Publication: July 2023

Uploaded to Knowledge Centre: 6 September 2023

Estimates of casualties in collisions involving at least one driver or rider over the drink-drive limit in Great Britain for 2021 show that:

  • Between 240 and 280 people were killed in drink-drive collisions, with a central estimate of 260 fatalities
  • The estimate of fatalities for 2021 is the highest since 2009 and represents a statistically significant increase from 2020
  • The central estimate of the number of killed or seriously injured drink-drive casualties in 2021 is 1,880, an increase of 23% on 2020
  • An estimated 6,740 people were killed or injured in drink-drive collisions, an increase of 4% from 2020

The number of reported drink-drive collisions and casualties involved in them are likely to have been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic in recent years, with increases in 2021 following reductions in the previous year.

Access the full statistical bulletin via the DfT website:

https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/reported-road-casualties-in-great-britain-involving-illegal-alcohol-levels-2021