Cut in drink-drive limit dismissed - for now

Proposed cuts in the drink-drive limit have been halted by the Transport committee.

In a report to Parliament, the committee instead recommended a tougher stance on enforcement and increased powers for the police when it comes to breath tests.

Launching the report, published today, committee chairwoman Louise Ellman said: "We believe the government should learn from the experience of other countries which have successfully reduced drink drive casualties by ensuring enforcement was robust.

"We are also calling for the police to be given an additional power to require preliminary breath tests as part of any designated drink drive enforcement operation," she said.

In a government commissioned review of drink-driving laws Sir Peter North recommended the drink-driving limit be cut from 80mg of alcohol per 100mls off blood to 50mg. He estimated slashing the limit would save up to 168 lives in year one, and 303 by year six.

However, the committee did recommend that the Government should aim for an "effectively zero" limit of 20mg per 100ml of blood, but didn't specify a time frame for this.

The move to opt for greater enforcement rather than dropping the limit has been welcomed by the trade, which argued a further cut could damage trade at certain pubs.

Kate Nicholls, communications chief at the Association of Licensed Multiple Retailers, said: "We campaigned for better enforcement. All of the signs are that this is the best way to get death rates down, which is an objective everybody shares."

Approximately three per cent of drivers in the UK are stopped and tested for alcohol, compared to the European average of 16 per cent. Ellman also called for a drink-driving education campaign to be run in conjunction with the on-trade to educate on drinks' ABVs.