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Recommendation to reduce drink-drive limit

A review of the drink-drive limit has recommended that it be nearly halved. Sir Peter North, the Government's road safety adviser, has proposed reducing the drink-drive limit, from 80mg of alcohol per 100ml to 50mg.

The report says that more than 168 lives a year could be saved by cutting the current limit.

Changing the limit, which has been in place since 1967, would give the UK one of the toughest regimes in Europe. This would mean that just half a pint of beer or less than a single glass of wine could put drinkers over the legal driving limit.

The report which contains 51 recommendations also recommends abolishing rules which allow drivers bordering on the limit to insist on a blood or urine test at a police station. Modern breathalysers carried by traffic police are now very accurate, and the delay caused by driving a suspect to a police station can mean their alcohol level falls below the legal limit by the time the blood or urine test is carried out.

Another recommendation is for the police to be provided with powers to carry out random breath-tests. The review has also looked at how to address the problem of drug-driving which is an ever escalating problem. One recommendation is to make it easier for police to identify and prosecute drug-drivers by allowing nurses, as well as doctors, to authorise blood tests of suspects.

In terms of the effect on the licensed industry, the changes could be a further blow for rural community pubs and destination dining venues. This albeit "our publicans being some of most responsible in the world" according to Nick Bish ,the AMLR CEO, speaking on radio 5 this morning.

However, the review was commissioned by Labour and it is not certain that the new Government would adopt its findings. Prior to the election, Conservative transport spokeswoman Theresa Villiers said her party would not cut the drink drive limit.
"We do not believe the case has been made to justify such a change. We would focus on enforcement of the current rules."

As a foot note please be aware though that when drinking alcoholic drinks, the amount of alcohol which gets into the bloodstream and the speed with which it does depends on factors such as the quantity drunk, the size of a person, the persons sex and food eaten. So although the recommendation means that you could be under the limit on half a pint, there is no guarantee that that would be the case. It should also be borne in mind that some premium beers such as Stella Artois are stronger than an average beer and therefore drinking only half a pint could place you over the limit.