Transport secretary rejects calls to lower drink-drive limit

He told The Evening Standard​ cutting the limit in line with Scotland would divert police to the wrong offenders.

The lower drink-drive limit in Scotland has had a profound effect on the pub trade​ leaving a large amount of venues with a decline in trade.

Greatest threat to business

Research by the Scottish Licensed Trade Association found 64% of 400 outlets surveyed considered the lower drink-drive limit the single greatest threat to their business.

The Campaign for Real Ale Scots national chair Colin Valentine said: “Anecdotally, we know people who would have had a pint and driven home are no longer doing that, but I’d like to know whether that’s reduced the number of accidents and drink-drivers on the road.”

He added that the information and evidence on this should be available now and urged the Scottish Government to look at the impact of the lower limit on the pub trade.

Drink-drive problem

Grayling also told The Evening Standard​: “We have a drink-drive problem, but it’s not people who had a glass of wine at the pub, it’s people who systematically flout the law.

“We have a fairly thinly stretched police force and we should concentrate on catching the serious offenders.”

Earlier this year (July), licensing specialist Poppleston Allen urged licensees to prevent customers from getting behind the wheel if they had been drinking​.

The legal experts added that common sense would dictate that if a licensee knows a customer had been drinking before getting in their car, they should stop them from doing so.