A LIST of drink and drug-driving ‘postcodes of shame’ features Darlington, Cleveland and Durham in its top 20

Research released today (Thursday, November 27) reveals the UK postcodes with the highest rates of drivers with drink and drug-driving convictions on their car insurance policies.

Darlington is ninth in the list, compiled by MoneySupermarket, while Cleveland appears at number 14 and Durham at number 17.

The list - topped by Llandrindod Wells, Blackpool and Crewe – was compiled after analysis of 11 million car insurance quotes.

According to the figures, the North-East has among the highest proportion of motorists declaring offences of drink and drug-driving.

In Darlington, the figure is 1.695 offences per 1,000 drivers whereas in Cleveland the figure is 1.615 and in Durham, 1.561.

Welsh town Llandrindod Wells has the highest amount of offences with 1.982 per 1,000 drivers while East, North-West and North London have the fewest drivers with convictions – possibly as a result of Londoners’ reliance on public transport.

This week, the Cleveland and Durham Specialist Operations Unit (CDSOU) will launch its annual crackdown on drink-driving.

Chief Inspector Ed Turner said proactive policing in the region could be responsible for the higher levels of convictions declared.

He said: “We have proactively targeted offenders and we respond to intelligence from Crimestoppers and the public when we believe people are drink or drug-driving.

“The police are very good at targeting particular incidents and proactive in terms of doing mass screenings targeting motorists.”

He added: “If you know somebody is drinking and driving and you don’t feel as though you can confront them about it, ring us or Crimestoppers and we will act – you don’t want it to be your friend or family member affected as a result of their actions.”

Colin Shevills - director of Balance, the North-East alcohol office – agreed, saying the figures did not accurately portray the number of drink-drivers but rather how many were caught.

Calling for England to follow in Scotland’s footsteps in reducing the drink-drive limit, he added: “The best advice will always be not to drink at all before getting behind the wheel.

“It’s also important to be cautious about driving the morning after drinking as alcohol can stay in your system for many hours after consumption – this is particularly relevant now as we enter the festive season when more people will be enjoying nights out.”