Posted on 8 December 2010

Parliamentary committee recommends new drink drive limit

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The Transport Select Committee, an all-party group of MPs, has recommended that the drink drive legal limit be lowered further until it is brought down to zero.

The group wants the limit of 80 milligrams per 100 millilitres of blood to be cut down to 20, which, given that the body produces some alcohol naturally, would effectively mean that anyone who gets behind the wheel after having any alcohol would be over the limit. Anyone found to be over the limit would still be facing an automatic 12-month driving ban.

Louise Ellman MP, chairman of the committee, said that the UK should learn from the experience of other countries which have used robust enforcement to reduce drink drive casualties, though she indicated that a reduction to 20mg was not imminent. She added: “Drinking and driving costs lives, as the statistics have made clear. But there does have to be an acceptance and understanding of what is being done. We felt in the short term stronger enforcement of the existing limit and driver education was the best way forward.”

The government, which said in opposition that it was “not minded” to cut the drink drive limit, has said that it will take the committee’s recommendations into account along with those of Government advisor Sir Peter North who has recommended that the limit be cut from 80 to 50 milligrams.

Any cut in the drink drive limit will be vigorously opposed by the licensing trade which has already voiced concerns that drastic reductions in the limit will especially harm rural pubs and restaurants, potentially forcing many out of business.