Britain’s worst drink driver in the past decade was stopped with a blood-alcohol reading high enough to have put him in a coma and even kill him, new figures reveal.
Around 6,800 people die or are injured in drink driving related collisions on Britain’s roads each year and the statistics are on the rise, with fatalities recording in 2022 the highest they’ve been in almost 15 years.
Latest figures show drink-driving collisions now represent more than one in six (17 per cent) of all deaths on the road annually, with the Government facing pressure to release its long-awaited ‘road safety strategy’.
And new DVLA data exclusively shared with This is Money has exposed just how far over the legal drink-drive limit some motorists have been in the past 10 years.
The highest reading for someone convicted of drink driving between 2015 and 2024 was recorded last July, when a 39-year-old male registered a reading of 513mg/dL (milligrams per decilitre).
That is six-and-a-half times over the legal limit and the equivalent of a 13-stone male consuming 22 pints of beer.
Scroll down to see the list of 20 highest drink-drive readings police measured in the last decade.
Britain’s worst drink driver in the last decade was stopped with a blood-alcohol reading high enough to have put him in a coma and even kill him, new figures have revealed
Having this level of alcohol in the blood is considered ‘potentially fatal’ by medical experts.
The team at Kansas State University concluded that readings higher than 400mg/dL can ‘depress respiration to the point where it’s not sufficient to sustain life’, while those above 450mg/dL are ‘often associated with coma and death’.
Graham Conway, from leading UK vehicle leasing firm Select Car Leasing, who obtained the figures via the Freedom of Information Act, said: ‘These numbers are simply incredible – in the worst way possible.
‘Drinking any amount of alcohol before driving is strongly advised against, and for good reason. But to drink so much that your level is considered life-threatening, before then getting behind the wheel, is simply beyond comprehension.’
Select Car Leasing asked the DVLA for the top 20 highest blood alcohol readings obtained for convicted drivers over the past 10 years.
The second highest was in June 2024 – a 62-year-old male who had a level of 471mg/dL – while third was a 37-year-old male who recorded an alcohol-blood reading of 460mg/dL in August 2022.
The highest level taken from a female motorist came in October 2017 when a 51-year-old lady was measured having 400mg/dL of alcohol in her system.
Of the top 10 worst drink drivers of all, six were women.
Nine of the 20 worst offenders were in their 30s at the time of the incident, six were in their 40s, two in their 50s, and three in their 60s.
The lowest age was 31 while the two oldest offenders were both 66.
| Date | Gender | Age | Blood-alcohol (mg/dL) |
|---|---|---|---|
| July 2024 | Male | 39 | 513 |
| June 2023 | Male | 62 | 471 |
| August 2022 | Male | 37 | 460 |
| September 2019 | Male | 42 | 440 |
| December 2024 | Male | 66 | 425 |
| February 2024 | Male | 41 | 424 |
| February 2015 | Male | 66 | 413 |
| December 2016 | Male | 38 | 400 |
| October 2017 | Female | 51 | 400 |
| March 2018 | Male | 33 | 399 |
| August 2020 | Female | 31 | 398 |
| June 2016 | Male | 33 | 396 |
| May 2018 | Male | 48 | 395 |
| February 2024 | Female | 48 | 394 |
| March 2022 | Female | 43 | 390 |
| June 2015 | Female | 57 | 389 |
| April 2015 | Male | 36 | 385 |
| May 2017 | Female | 40 | 384 |
| November 2017 | Male | 38 | 378 |
| November 2015 | Male | 34 | 376 |
| Source: Select Car Leasing FOI request to DVLA for 20 highest blood alcohol readings, recorded on GB driving licence holder records, in relation to a drink driving offence between 1 January 2015 and 31 December 2024 | |||
Mr Conway said: ‘Rather worryingly, the stats show that four of the top five highest readings were recorded within the past three years.
‘This indicates the well-established message that drink-driving is both dangerous and socially unacceptable has simply not landed with some people.
‘We’re not talking about the odd drink either – this is consuming well into double figures to reach the levels recorded.’
Experts at Kansas State University said Britain’s most over-the-limit driver had more than the level of alcohol in his system ‘often associated with coma and death’
Around 6,800 people die or are injured in drink driving related collisions on Britain’s roads each year and the statistics are on the rise, with fatalities recording in 2022 the highest they’ve been in almost 15 years
The legal alcohol limit in England, Wales and Northern Ireland is 80 milligrams of alcohol per 100 millilitres of blood (mg/dL) or 35 micrograms of alcohol per 100 millilitres of breath.
The law in Scotland is different, with 50 milligrams of alcohol per 100 millilitres of blood or 22 micrograms of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath the limit.
Being caught over the limit could land you with an unlimited fine, an automatic driving ban of at least a year and up to six months in prison.
If you cause death while driving under the influence, the maximum penalty is now life imprisonment.
Research conducted by road safety charity Brake! found that the average driver is six times more likely to be involved in a fatal crash if they have 50-80 mg alcohol per 100ml blood, compared to 0ml.
They’re three times more likely to die on the roads if they have 20-50mg alcohol per 100ml of blood, compared to zero.
Almost half (46 per cent) are also found to be more likely at fault in road collisions if having 10mg alcohol per 100ml, compared to nothing at all.
