Breath test data 565/23
FOI Reference: 565/2023
Request:
- The total number of motorists of all categories – cars, vans, lorries, motorbikes and other – that were stopped by police in 2021, 2022 and 2023 (year to date) and asked to undergo a breathalyser test for alcohol. If possible, please break down by gender and time of day.
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2021 |
2022 |
2023 (year to date) |
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Time of Day Stopped |
Male |
Female |
Male |
Female |
Male |
Female |
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05:00 – 05:59 |
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|
||||
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06:00 – 06:59 |
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|
||||
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07:00 – 07:59 |
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|
||||
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08:00 – 08:59 |
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|
|
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09:00 – 09.59 |
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|
||||
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10:00 – 10.59 |
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|
|
|
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11:00 – 11:59 |
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|
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TOTAL STOPPED: |
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|
|
|
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- The total number of motorists of all categories – cars, vans, lorries, motorbikes and other – that were stopped by police in 2022 and 2021, asked to undergo an alcohol breathalyser test and failed the test. If possible, please break down by gender and time of day.
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2021 |
2022 |
2023 (year to date) |
|||
|
Time of Day Breathalysed |
Male |
Female |
Male |
Female |
Male |
Female |
|
05:00 – 05:59 |
|
|
||||
|
06:00 – 06:59 |
|
|
||||
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07:00 – 07:59 |
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|
||||
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08:00 – 08:59 |
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|
|
|
|
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09:00 – 09.59 |
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||||
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10:00 – 10.59 |
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|
|
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11:00 – 11:59 |
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TOTAL FAILED: |
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|
|
|
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- The total number of motorists of all categories – cars, vans, lorries, motorbikes and other – that were stopped by police in 2022, 2021 and 2023 (year to date) and charged for failing an alcohol breathalyser test, if possible, please break down by gender and time of day.
|
|
2021 |
2022 |
2023 (year to date) |
|||
|
Time of Day Breathalysed |
Male |
Female |
Male |
Female |
Male |
Female |
|
05:00 – 05:59 |
|
|
||||
|
06:00 – 06:59 |
|
|
||||
|
07:00 – 07:59 |
|
|
||||
|
08:00 – 08:59 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
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09:00 – 09.59 |
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|
||||
|
10:00 – 10.59 |
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|
|
|
|
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11:00 – 11:59 |
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|
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|
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TOTAL CHARGED: |
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|
|
|
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Response 1 – 3:
I can confirm that Dyfed-Powys Police does hold the information requested, however a Section 22 – information intended for future publication exemption has been applied to some of the information requested:
- The total number of motorists of all categories that completed a breath test for alcohol
|
|
2021 |
2022 |
2023 |
|||
|
Time of Day Stopped |
Male |
Female |
Male |
Female |
Male |
Female |
|
05:00 – 05:59 |
27 |
5 |
52 |
10 |
Section 22 exemption applies |
|
|
06:00 – 06:59 |
26 |
9 |
42 |
5 |
||
|
07:00 – 07:59 |
70 |
11 |
66 |
13 |
||
|
08:00 – 08:59 |
76 |
24 |
107 |
48 |
||
|
09:00 – 09.59 |
82 |
37 |
146 |
31 |
||
|
10:00 – 10.59 |
87 |
34 |
122 |
20 |
||
|
11:00 – 11:59 |
98 |
20 |
154 |
42 |
||
|
TOTAL STOPPED: |
466 |
140 |
689 |
169 |
||
2) The total number of motorists of all categories that failed a breath test for alcohol
|
|
2021 |
2022 |
2023 |
|||
|
Time of Day Breathalysed |
Male |
Female |
Male |
Female |
Male |
Female |
|
05:00 – 05:59 |
6 |
3 |
10 |
2 |
Section 22 exemption applies |
|
|
06:00 – 06:59 |
8 |
1 |
5 |
0 |
||
|
07:00 – 07:59 |
16 |
2 |
10 |
1 |
||
|
08:00 – 08:59 |
6 |
5 |
15 |
3 |
||
|
09:00 – 09.59 |
18 |
2 |
16 |
1 |
||
|
10:00 – 10.59 |
8 |
5 |
17 |
2 |
||
|
11:00 – 11:59 |
19 |
3 |
24 |
1 |
||
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TOTAL FAILED: |
81 |
21 |
97 |
10 |
||
- The total number of motorists of all categories charged for failing a breath test for alcohol
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|
2021 |
2022 |
2023 (01/01/23 - 12/05/23) |
|||
|
Time of Day Breathalysed |
Male |
Female |
Male |
Female |
Male |
Female |
|
05:00 – 05:59 |
11 |
3 |
14 |
2 |
6 |
0 |
|
06:00 – 06:59 |
7 |
1 |
2 |
1 |
1 |
2 |
|
07:00 – 07:59 |
7 |
1 |
5 |
0 |
1 |
2 |
|
08:00 – 08:59 |
8 |
3 |
5 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
09:00 – 09.59 |
4 |
1 |
5 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
10:00 – 10.59 |
8 |
1 |
4 |
1 |
1 |
0 |
|
11:00 – 11:59 |
5 |
2 |
6 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
TOTAL CHARGED: |
50 |
12 |
41 |
4 |
9 |
4 |
Explanation of the applied exemption:
Section 1 of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 places two duties on public authorities. Unless exemptions apply, the first duty at Section 1(1)(a) is to confirm or deny whether the information specified in a request is held. The second duty at Section 1(1)(b) is to disclose information that has been confirmed as being held.
Where exemptions are relied upon Section 17 of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 requires Dyfed-Powys Police, when refusing to provide such information (because the information is exempt) to provide you the applicant with a notice which:
(a) states that fact,
(b) specifies the exemption in question and
(c) states (if that would not otherwise be apparent) why the exemption applies.
Section 22 – Information Intended for Future Publication
“(1) Information is exempt information if –
- the information is held by the public authority with a view to its publication, by the authority or any other person, at some future date (whether determined or not),
- the information was already held with a view to such publication at the time the request for information was made, and
- it is reasonable in all circumstances that the information should be withheld from disclosure until the date referred to in paragraph.”
Section 22 is a qualified class-based exemption and considerations must be given as to whether there is a public interest in providing the information prior to the anticipated publication.
Public Interest Test
Considerations favouring disclosure:
Dyfed-Powys Police is committed to demonstrating an ethos of openness, transparency and accountability and to disclose the information would be seen as providing updated information and demonstrating continuing ongoing awareness. Current information would enhance public knowledge of the subject and that may better inform public debate around this subject
Considerations favouring non-disclosure:
Information relating to this subject area is collated and provided on an annual basis to the Home Office (i.e. in June) who in turn publish this information, therefore, to disclose the information requested in relation to the year 2023 under the Freedom of Information Act would pre-empt this disclosure. Publication processes are in place and disclosure outside of those arranged processes will render such processes obsolete. Such processes are in place to ensure the proactive publication of information, which is in line with the ethos of openness and transparency found within the Freedom of Information Act 2000.
Balancing Test
Factors need to be balanced to see if they favour disclosure or non-disclosure of the information. In this case the strongest consideration for disclosure is demonstrating an ethos of openness, transparency and accountability, being weighed against the consideration for non-disclosure which in this case is that the requested information is proactively produced and published. Proactive publication of information assists in meeting the public interest test, disclosure at an earlier date would render such processes obsolete and the Force would continuously have to furnish Freedom of Information requests when there is a process in place which ensures that the Force is open and transparent in regard to such information. Therefore, at this moment in time, the balancing test for disclosure is not made out.
Therefore, in all the circumstances of the case, the public interest in maintaining the exemption outweighs the public interest in disclosing the information.
It should be noted that owing to the systems adopted by Dyfed-Powys Police in relation to the recording of such matters the information provided may or may not be accurate. It should be noted that for these reasons this Force’s response to your questions should not be used for comparison purposes with any other response you may receive.
(This is a response under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 and disclosed on 27/02/24)