ALMOST one in ten collisions in Barnsley are caused by alcohol or drugs, new research has revealed.
And the town has been named as one of Yorkshire’s hotspots for drink and drug drivers.
The research, co-ordinated by rehab provider Abbeycare, analysed the latest drink drive collisions and casualties data from the Department for Transport – which also reveals when they are most likely to occur and in which parts of the nation.
The analysis shows that almost one in ten collisions in Barnsley are caused by alcohol or drugs annually – more than 200 per cent above the national average of 2.4 per cent.
Barnsley is the fifth-worst place in Yorkshire for the crime – and the worst in South Yorkshire – behind Calderdale, Wakefield, North Lincolnshire and Redcar.
Speaking on the findings, an Abbeycare spokesperson said: “It is never a good idea to drive after consuming alcohol or drugs.
“With the festive season approaching, it’s likely that there’ll be an increased number of Brits heading on a spontaneous night out after driving into the office that morning, who’ll need to make the right decision in the evening.
“To avoid endangering yourself and others, always take public transport if you’ve been drinking or taking drugs.”
Data from the Department for Transport also revealed the time of day when an incident is most likely to occur, with 11pm to 11.59pm named the riskiest time, with an average of 18 fatal crashes reported yearly.
Meanwhile, the morning rush hours were among the safest driving times, with zero fatal drink-driving incidents reported between 9am and 9.59am each year and just one reported between 10am and 10.59am.
The South Yorkshire Safer Roads Partnership have urged those driving to not drink alcohol, stating the only safe amount of booze to drink before you get behind the wheel is zero.
A spokesperson said: “Even though there is a legal limit to how much alcohol can be in a person’s system before they can drive, it is impossible to say how many drinks or units it will take to reach it.
“It all depends on how much you’ve eaten, your weight, your metabolism – there are just so many variables.
“There is also no way of knowing how long it will take for alcohol to be processed by your body meaning it is possible to still be over the legal limit the following day.
“The reality is that there is no safe limit for the amount of alcohol or drugs you can have before driving or riding.( SYSRP’s drink and drug drive campaign is part of the partners’ commitment to ‘Vision Zero’ – an ambition to end all death and serious injury on South Yorkshire roads.( Partners deliver a programme of education, engineering and enforcement throughout the year to create a safe transport system and encourage safe road use.( The first milestone in the Vision Zero ambition is to halve the number of people killed or seriously injured in a road traffic collision by the year 2030.
