Currently reading: Drink-drive limit may be lowered
Government commissions independet research into effects of lower limit

The legal alcohol limit could be lowered following a government review.

Transport Secretary Lord Adonis has commissioned independent research into the effects lowering the limit could have. The report will be finsihed by April, and a drop in the drink-drive limit and tougher curbs on drug driving could follow.

The current limit is 80 milligrams of alcohol per 100 millilitres of blood, but the government is reported to be considering lowering the limit to 50 milligrams.

Lord Adonis said: "Road safety has improved significantly in recent years - 1000 fewer people now die on the roads in a year than in the mid-1990s - and Britain now has one of the safest road systems in the world."But we need to cut further the number of tragedies on our roads. Drink-driving killed 430 people last year, and research suggests drug-driving is a key concern for the public."

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tomisdadude 3 December 2009

Re: Drink-drive limit may be lowered

I am really happy with that I have never drink and drove but I know this would make it much more off putting for other drivers to drink anything before at the wheel of a car.

I know those who do drink 1 or 2 whilst out when driven will disagree but they are the reason why young drivers cost soo much to insure

Scoobman 3 December 2009

Re: Drink-drive limit may be lowered

davidv11 wrote:
The limit shout be ZERO. drink driving is a silly thing to do, even if youve only had one drink.

It is difficult to make it zero. If you have a beer during the evening, you will still have a residual level of alcohol in your body the following morning (and maybe the following evening). It won't be enough to impair your driving ability, but it would be measurable.

50mg seems to be a sensible compromise.

Mind you, I'm not sure reducing the limit to 50mg will make the roads safer for the reason given by others: what we really need is the proper enforcement of the laws we already have, not more laws.

rodenal 3 December 2009

Re: Drink-drive limit may be lowered

I agree, whilst I will have a bottle of beer when i'm out if driving, it would make absolutely no difference to me if i wasn't able to have it.

If this would discourage people from drinking and driving then i'd be all for it.

As above there isn't much point in lowering the limit unless it can be enforced properly. Contrary to popular belief, for most people you will find that a pint would technically put you over the limit (if you were to drive and be stopped immediately afterwards).

Given that most people wont have a pint and then drive / be stopped immediately afterwards this tends not to matter. The police also have to take anybody they stop for drink driving for a proper test, by which time anybody who had consumed a pint would be well within the limit.

Anyway, as above whilst any reduction is welcomed it would seem to be a pointless exercise