Drink-driving increases among elderly

Drinking and driving among elderly motorists is on the rise, according to police figures.

Police forces reported that 232 over-75s were caught driving over the legal limit last year, including a 93-year-old stopped in Devon. This represents a 20 per cent increase since 2010, said the car insurer Swiftcover.com.

The company obtained the figures from 42 of the 52 UK police forces, under the Freedom of Information Act.

They showed that over-50s made up 15 per cent of all drink-drive offenders, but that the proportion was as high as 54 per cent in Lancashire and as low as 2 per cent in London.

Southern England was the worst spot for older motorists drinking and driving, with the South-west having the most over-75 offenders.

PA