The number of positive or refused* breath tests administered to drivers by UK police has risen by 8% this year, according to the latest figures released by the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO). This coincides with a massive cut in government funding for anti-drink drive campaigns – funding has been reduced from £3.4m in 2009/10 to just £550,000 in the current financial year.

The latest figures relate to June’s summer drink driving campaign, during which a total of 88,629 drivers were breathalysed by police. Of the drivers tested, 6.06% (5,373) tested positive – a similar figure to the UK figures in the recent Europe-wide TISPOL crackdown, which also took place during June.

These figures are bad enough, but what is worse is that the anti drink-drive message seems to be failing to reach younger drivers. The number of drivers aged under 25 who tested positive in June was 15% higher than in June 2010 – more than double the overall increase in positive tests.

Breath testing is standard procedure for drivers who have been involved in collisions that are attended by police, and the number of positive tests following collisions was 11.27% higher than in June 2010. The total number of accidents recorded was 16% higher than in June 2010, highlighting the link between drink driving and collisions and showing that a cut in anti-drink drive campaign spending could well result in a far higher costs.

It is worth emphasising that the UK blood alcohol limit of 0.08% is one of the highest drink-drive limits in the western world. As far as I know, all other European countries have lower limits – Ireland, one of the few other countries with a limit of 0.08%, is lowering its limit to 0.05% later this year, to bring it into line with most other European countries.

Just to recap, the UK drink drive limit can be expressed in three ways, all of which are equivalent:

• 0.08% blood alcohol level
• 80 milligrammes per 100 millilitres of blood
• 35 microgrammes per 100 millilitres of breath (this is the measure used by police breathalysers)

Cutting spending on anti-drink drive campaigning is likely to prove a terrible false economy. The human and monetary cost to families, businesses and the emergency services is almost certain to far exceed a few million pounds saved by the government.

If you are hiring a van to drive to Europe, remember that most European countries have a lower limit than the UK and in Scandinavian countries the limit is virtually zero.

*Drivers only refuse a breath test when they are expect it will be highly positive and would rather take the penalty for refusing a test than reveal how drunk they are. Refusing a breath test is an offence, the penalties are similar to those for drink driving.