West Yorkshire Police has issued a warning to motorists ahead of the Christmas period to remind those getting behind the wheel of the rules around drink and drug driving.
Police have said there is simply “no excuse” to drive whilst under the influence, putting yourself and other people’s lives at risk.
West Yorkshire Police has launched the ‘12 Excuses of Christmas’ campaign to highlight some of the most common excuses used by motorists considering this. Some of them include ‘wanting a takeaway’ and ‘needing to get home for my dog’ as a reason to get behind the wheel half-cut.
According to statistics, in 2024 alone 42 people have sadly lost their lives in collisions in West Yorkshire and more than 1,000 have been seriously injured.
Data suggests that of those collisions in which someone was killed or serious injured, there were more than 80 where a driver or rider was thought to be under the influence of drink or drugs. This means that these collisions were completely preventable.
Increased patrols
To catch offenders, roads policing officers will be carrying out increased patrols throughout the month, at a time when collisions, where motorists test positive for drink and/or drugs, tend to increase.
West Yorkshire Police Chief Inspector James Farrar said:
“In the weeks leading up to Christmas, people start to get together for gatherings and parties to celebrate the festive season. Sadly, this increase in social activity tends to coincide with a rise in road traffic collisions where drink or drug use is a factor. Sometimes these will cause serious injuries or even deaths.”
“There is no excuse for drink or drug driving and to remind people of this we will be using our social media pages to highlight some of the excuses we hear from drivers found to have been under the influence.
“This will coincide with our increased patrols over the festive period. My officers are experts in identifying people who are believed to be using vehicles when under the influence of drink or drugs and they will stop motorists where they have reason to do so.”
Alison Lowe OBE, Chair of the West Yorkshire Vision Zero Board and Deputy Mayor for Policing and Crime, added:
“There is no excuse for risking the lives of other road users, as well as your own, through drink or drug driving.
“Those who selfishly choose to drive whilst unfit should expect to be caught and face the consequences that follow.
“Vision Zero at its heart is about everyone working together to improve road safety and we would ask for the public’s help. Please report anyone you suspect of drink or drug driving; in doing so you could be saving lives.”
What is the punishment for drink or drug driving?
James Farrar explains:
“Outcomes for being over the prescribed limit include a fine, disqualification or even a prison sentence. There is also another outcome – the possibility of living with the knowledge that you are seriously injured or even killed someone. Just because you drank alcohol or took drugs before using a motor vehicle.”
I’m going out this Christmas – What should I do?
“If you’re going out this Christmas and intend to drink, then people should use a designated driver, get a taxi or choose drinks with 0% alcohol.”
Alcohol limit for driving UK
There are strict alcohol limits for drivers, but it’s impossible to say exactly how many drinks this equal – it’s different for each person.
The limits in Scotland are different to the rest of the UK.
| Level of alcohol |
England, Wales and Northern Ireland |
Scotland |
| Micrograms per 100 millilitres of breath |
35 |
22 |
| Milligrammes per 100 millilitres of blood |
80 |
50 |
| Milligrammes per 100 millilitres of urine |
107 |
67 |
How to report drink or drug driving
You can help to keep our roads safer by reporting anyone you believe to be using a vehicle when under the influence of drink or drugs by using the contact options on the West Yorkshire Police website, calling 101 or contacting CrimeStoppers Anonymously.
Car accident compensation – Making a claim
If you have been involved in a car accident which has caused vehicle damaged or suffered injuries yourself, you may be entitled to claim compensation.
Oakwood Solicitors Ltd are experts in road traffic accident claims and can help you claim compensation for any losses caused by the accident.
We deal with claims that range between one thousand and hundreds of thousands of pounds, many of which will involve extensive claims for various kinds of expenses. When you instruct Oakwood Solicitors, you can expect a friendly, down to earth approach, together with an extensive knowledge of the field which will be used to fight tenaciously with the insurers to achieve the maximum level of compensation possible for your claim.
We are able to act for you on a ‘no-win, no-fee’ basis, meaning that there is no risk to you, and you will not be charged if your driver or passenger claim is unsuccessful.
What information do I need to make a claim?
If the other driver has stopped and your vehicle is in a safe location following the accident, you will need to exchange personal information with the other driver. We would always recommend that you try to take the following details after an accident:
- The other driver’s name and address
- A contact telephone number for the other driver
- The vehicle registration of the third-party car
- The name of the third party’s insurance company
- The policy number for the third party driver’s insurers
What if the other driver will not cooperate or refuse to give their details?
It is important to ensure that if you can, you obtain the other driver’s vehicle registration following an accident. An insurer can usually be identified if the registration is available from any organisation which has permission to use the askMID database, such as an insurer or firm of solicitors.
If the other driver is not willing to release them to you, then it is likely they have breached The Road Traffic Act 1988. You should report the matter to the police immediately.
What if the other driver fled from the scene of the accident?
If you feel that the other driver is going to leave the scene of the accident, try to memorise the registration of the car – or if it is safe and lawful, take a photograph. If you are unable to do so, pull into a safe place then report the incident to the police.
If it is possible, attempt to obtain details of any witnesses who may have seen the collision, asking them if they were able to take the third party’s registration number. The evidence of a witness can be crucial in determining liability for the accident and also proving the involvement of another car, thus helping any subsequent claim for compensation.
I have suffered injuries – Can I claim compensation?
It is generally accepted by medical professionals that an injury can occur in a car accident even at speeds as low as five miles per hour. If you find that following a car accident you start to experience any symptoms, we recommend that you seek medical attention.
Common symptoms experienced following a car accident are:
- Neck, back and shoulder stiffness and aching (commonly known as whiplash)
- Pins and needles in the arms, hands, legs and feet (paraesthesia)
- Headaches
- Bruising to the chest and abdomen (often caused by the seatbelt tightening)
- Soft tissue injuries affecting the limbs
- Stress, travel anxiety, heightened awareness, nervousness as a passenger and nightmares
Symptoms following an accident can often feel worse early in the morning or late in the evening. They can often initially deteriorate before you see signs of improvement.
If your symptoms persist, we recommend you return to your GP and discuss the different forms of treatment that are available, such as physiotherapy or acupuncture.
Why should I seek medical attention?
It is important that you seek medical attention following an accident for a number of reasons.
Of course, if you are experiencing pain, then you should discuss this with a medical professional. It may be that over the counter medication is recommended, but importantly, you may require further investigations such as an X-Ray, or a more aggressive treatment regime to include a course of physiotherapy, for example.
In addition to this, it is important that your injuries are documented in your records. This will help to support the fact that you have been injured and reduce the risk of the third party insurers disputing the fact when making a claim.
Also, you have a legal duty to mitigate your losses. This means that you must try to keep your losses to a minimum. This extends to trying to take steps to reduce the level and duration of your symptoms in order to keep the level of compensation to a minimum too.
If you do not seek medical attention/treatment and it is later deemed that by doing so, the level of your injuries and their duration could have been reduced, the level of compensation that you are awarded could be negatively affected at the conclusion of your accident claim.
How much compensation will I get for my injuries?
Injury claims are valued based on compensation for pain, suffering, and loss of amenity. A key determining factor is the length of the injury. This runs from the start of your symptoms until a complete resolution has been made. Of course, the level of pain experienced can differ from one injury to another.
Injuries can be minor in nature and affect only one part of the body, or they can be extremely painful, affecting multiple regions of the body. The extent of the injuries is another important feature to consider. The final factor is the impact the injury has had on your life.
This is likely to be determined by the first two considerations. However, the impact on one’s life can be dependent on how active the victim is. For example, an active person in full-time employment in the building industry, responsible for contributing income into a large family could potentially be affected severely by injuries sustained that have resulted in a long period of absence from work.
Once the cause and level of injury has been determined by an independent doctor, discussions regarding settlement of the claim can commence (subject to liability being agreed).
A starting point for your solicitor will be the Judicial Studies Guidelines. This is a guide, released by the Courts, which provides examples as to the levels of compensation that the common types of personal injury should attract.
In addition to this, details of cases that have been to trial are reported on and can be reviewed in order to ascertain the likely awards that the court would give. If a similar injury, causing a similar effect in the victim’s life can be found, then that case law can be used as a guide.
What other compensation can I claim?
As well as claiming compensation for your injuries and car damage, you may be entitled to claim for other losses incurred as a result of a car accident. For example, if the accident has caused you to be out of work due to your injuries, you may be entitled to claim for your losses.
You may also be entitled to claim if your injuries have caused you to miss planned events, such as holidays – especially if they are sports-focused trips – for example and ski or golfing trip. Below we list 12 other types of compensation you can claim for in relation to your road traffic accident.
Aside from being able to make a claim for personal injury, we can assist you in recovering the following types of expenses:
- Damage to your motor vehicle – This could be cost of the repairs, or pre-accident value of the vehicle if it is deemed a total loss.
- Policy excess – Subject to evidence of the loss, this can be claimed from the third party insurers.
- Medication costs – Subject to receipts, this is recoverable from the third party insurers, providing that it is deemed that it was necessary to incur the expense.
- Treatment costs – As long as it was reasonable that treatment was incurred and caused by injuries sustained, we can recover this from the third party insurers. Future surgery may be recommended – if so, we can obtain suitable quotations and seek the funding for that surgery upfront.
- Loss of/damage to clothing and personal effects – These can become damaged in an accident. Whether it be torn clothing or a broken electronic device, we would always recommend keeping the item as evidence and take photographs in case third party insurers want to see it. If you purchase a new item to replace it, keep the receipt.
- Lost earnings – Unable to work due to injury? We can claim this from the third party insurers. Wage slips or profit and loss accounts can be used to calculate the loss. The accident may have affected your ability to work in the future – subject to medical evidence, a claim can be submitted to the third party insurers.
- Travel expenses – We are able to include travel expense claims. This may be trips to physiotherapy, doctor or hospital appointments, taxi or bus fare, or petrol expenses.
- Vehicle diminution – Your car may have lost market value due to being damaged and repaired. We can recover this loss for you by obtaining a specialist engineer’s report. Read information about vehicle Diminution here.
- Care and assistance – It may have needed to employ someone to assist with gardening, cleaning, cooking, washing or personal hygiene. Whether this was from a professional, a family member or friend, this can be claimed from the third party insurers, subject to medical evidence. The same may apply for future care and assistance.
- House alterations – Your injuries may be substantial enough to warrant alterations to your home. Whether this is widening doors or fitting ramps or handrails, these costs can be recovered if medical evidence states that it was necessary.
- Hire charges – If you have paid for a hire vehicle, we can recover the cost of this for you from the third party insurers. Sometimes it is possible to arrange a credit hire vehicle for you whilst your own is out of action.
- Any other expenses – You may have paid for postage and phone calls, or have some pension entitlement. Whatever you feel you have incurred, we are happy to discuss this further with you to explore whether it is something we can assist with during the claims process.
What do I need to claim expenses?
Ensure that you keep any receipts you have received after purchasing anything such as painkilling medication, physiotherapy, or incurring a fee for a taxi. If you have lost earnings as a result of the accident, you will be asked to provide 13 weeks’ worth of wage slips prior to the accident, and wage slips covering the period of the absence when making a claim.
It may also be necessary to provide a copy of your employment contract if you received sick pay from your employers. This sick pay may be recoverable to your employers if the absence was caused by the negligence of a third party.
If you are self-employed, you will need to provide profit and loss accounts to act as evidence that you have sustained a financial loss as a result of your road traffic accident.
Will I need to go to Court?
It is possible, but only a very small percentage of claims need to involve the courts, and fewer still will run to trial.
In the end, it will boil down to how strong your case is, how reasonable the third party insurers are, along with your own expectations and willingness to negotiate.
Can other passengers in the car make a claim?
If you had passengers in the vehicle that have also been injured as a result of the accident, they may be entitled to claim compensation too.
What should I do now?
Contact Oakwood Solicitors Ltd and provide us with some basic details about the accident, your injuries, and details of your financial losses. We will then be able to tell you if you have a viable road traffic accident claim. There is absolutely no obligation to proceed.
Further reading
Driver and passenger claims – Oakwood Solicitors
WHAT TO DO NEXT
Get in touch today for a no-obligation consultation. Choose one of the methods on the right-hand side of this page, or call us on 0113 200 9720 to find out how we can help you.
Tim Driver has been handling Road Traffic Accident (RTA) claims since around 2007, dealing with both English and Scottish cases. Tim strives to settle his clients' claims on the best terms possible, …
