00:02Football fans are being urged to think carefully before getting behind the wheel the morning
00:07after World Cup England matches. New regional analysis suggests a clear rise in collisions
00:12involving drink or drug drivers around major tournament fixtures, with officials warning
00:18that alcohol and fatigue can still affect motorists well into the next day.
00:23Analysis by Cleveland Police and Road Safety GB North East looked at the 2022 World Cup
00:29and Year Rose 2024. It found the proportion of road injuries involving a drink or drug driver
00:35rose from 5% to 13% on the day of and the day after England matches. The data also
00:42shows the
00:43share of serious injuries linked to impairment doubled from 11% to 22%. More than 60% of those
00:51injuries happened on match day itself. Road safety expert Matthew Tomlinson says fans may underestimate
00:58how long alcohol stays in the body after late night fixtures, particularly when combined with
01:03fatigue the following morning. The RAC says many people assume a night's sleep is enough to clear
01:10alcohol from the system. Its head of policy, Simon Williams, says the safest option is to avoid driving
01:16altogether the next day and use public transport or lifts where possible. New figures also show that
01:23in 2025 drugs were involved in 80% of impaired collisions in the region, compared with 63% involving
01:31alcohol and 44% involving both. Officials say a quarter of road fatalities in the region last year
01:38involved a drink or drug driver, the highest number in five years. Police and fire services say enforcement
01:45and awareness campaigns will continue throughout the tournament period. Authorities across the North East are
01:52warning that England's World Cup fixtures could bring increased road safety risks linked to drink and
01:58drug driving. Officials say even the morning after a match can still be dangerous if alcohol or drugs
02:04remain in the system. Extra roadside checks are expected during the tournament, with drivers urged to plan
02:11ahead and avoid taking unnecessary risks. According to a study conducted in 2025 by financial services and price
02:19comparison website gocompare.com, the North East of England was found to be among the UK's worst place for drink
02:26driving. Figures from GoCompare Car Insurance found one in every 226 policies bought in the North East was for a
02:34convicted drink driver, the highest proportion of any region in the UK. Tom Banks, motoring
02:40expert at GoCompare Car Insurance said if you think you have seen a drink driver, consider reporting them
02:46as soon as it's safe to do so. He added some of the biggest signs include swerving, failing to follow
02:53your simple driving rules and excessive braking and acceleration.
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