The legal drink-drive limit will remain at 80mg per 100ml of blood, the transport secretary Philip Hammond has announced. A Government press release said the focus would instead be on "improving enforcement and education to tackle the drink and drug drivers who put lives at risk."
However the decision drew criticism after an independent report last year called for the legal limit to be reduced. In the report Sir Peter North proposed a reduced 50mg limit, arguing it would save hundreds of lives and bring the level in line with most of Europe. See BBC report.
Transport Secretary Philip Hammond said:
“The number of drink driving deaths has fallen by more than 75% since 1979. But drink driving still kills hundreds of people so we need to take tough action... after careful consideration we have concluded that improving enforcement is likely to have more impact on these dangerous people than lowering the limit.
See here for a new Think! road safety website, including facts and advice on drink-driving.
Further measures were outlined including:
- revoking the right to a blood test for people whose evidential breath test result is less than 40% over the limit
- introducing a "more robust" rehabilitation scheme requiring those caught well over the limit to take remedial training
- approving portable evidential breath-testing equipment for the police
- closing a loophole used by high-risk offenders to delay medical examinations,
- streamlining the procedure for testing drink-drivers in hospital.
See here for the the full Government response to the independent reports on drink and drug driving. See here for a BBC magazine article discussing the arguments for and against a total ban.
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