Number of positive breathalyser tests goes up
2017 sees fewer road traffic offences
Published : 03 Feb 2018, 22:53
Updated : 04 Feb 2018, 11:20
Although the total number of road traffic offences reduced in 2017 compared to that in the previous year, the number of traffic violations increased.
The police recorded a total of 108,636 road traffic offences in 2017, which was approximately 10 per cent less than that in 2016, according to the crime data released by the police recently.
The majority of road traffic offences were conventional traffic safety violations, which numbered 64,013, i.e. almost 16 per cent less than that in the previous year.
The number of traffic violations, however, increased four per cent, while the same number of incidents causing serious traffic hazards was recorded in 2016.
Speeding decreased, which was reflected in fewer consequences. One of the reasons for the number of incidents causing serious traffic hazards remaining unchanged was the fact that detecting serious offences was one of the year’s surveillance priorities.
The total number of drink-driving offences increased slightly. The police recorded 17,733 drink-driving cases, which was approximately three per cent more than that in 2016.
The number of offences classified as driving while intoxicated increased by 718 cases, i.e. by just over seven per cent, while the number of offences classified as driving while seriously intoxicated decreased by 203 cases, i.e. by approximately three per cent compared to the previous year.
The number of breathalyser tests carried out in 2017 was slightly more than that in the previous year and the campaigns were also more effective. In other words, it took fewer breathalyser tests on average to catch an intoxicated driver. The number of drivers under the influence of narcotics also increased, which goes some way to explain the increase in the total number of offences classified as driving while intoxicated.