The vast majority of drivers would support breathalysers being installed in cars to prevent drink driving, new research finds.

Alcohol interlocks, or alcolocks, are already widely available for the bus, coach and commercial vehicle sector

A survey of 1,000 drivers by the WhoCanFixMyCar.com online garage and car repair marketplace revealed more than 900 (90%) would want to help reduce the amount of accidents caused by drink driving in the UK, by putting breathalysers in cars. These would ensure that only people who are under the drinking limit would be able to physically drive in the UK.

It follows recent Department for Transport figures that show fatalities due to drink driving rose 15% from 2015 to 2016 while overall drink-drive casualties rose 7%. Meanwhile newly published data indicates that a total of 2.2 million Brits drive regularly for work high on drink and drugs.

Alcohol interlocks have been a talking point in recent months as they’re one of a number of technologies that the EU is looking to make mandatory on various vehicles within the next three years, supported by the European Transport Safety Council, which says that studies have repeatedly shown that alcohol interlock programmes, combined with rehabilitation programmes, cut reoffending rates both during and after the driver has installed the device in their vehicle.

The devices are already widely used in the US and Denmark, and in the UK are being offered for free to motorists that are repeat offenders or who struggle with alcohol addiction under a trial by Durham Police.

Commenting on the response of the WhoCanFixMyCar.com research, the firm’s co-founder Al Preston said: “We were interested to see from our database who would agree with car breathalysers, deciding if drivers are fit to drive or not. Although we were expecting to see a positive response, we were amazed to see just how many drivers would like to see the devices put in place in the UK!”