We welcome potential plans to reduce the drink drive limit in England and Wales, as part of the new road safety strategy set to be published this autumn (reported by the BBC).
Deaths from drink driving collisions are at their highest level since 2009, having increased by 16% from 2021 to 2022 and 32% since 2012.
Dr Katherine Severi said:
We fully support potential plans to reduce the drink drive limit in England and Wales. Along with Northern Ireland – which has legislated to reduce its limit – we are now the only countries in Europe to have a limit this high, so it would be common sense to align with other countries, including our neighbour Scotland.
Research shows that you are six times more likely to be involved in a crash that kills someone if you have a blood alcohol concentration of 50-80mg/100ml – which is the current limit in England and Wales – compared to 0mg.
When Scotland reduced its limit in 2014, police figures showed an immediate decrease in drink drive offences. It also led to greater anti-drink driving sentiment and more support for the reduction.
However, evidence also shows that changing the law alone is not necessarily enough to reduce accidents. What is needed alongside a lower limit are more public transport options, greater enforcement such as more breath tests, and specialist rehabilitation courses for those with mental health and alcohol problems.
We have written to the Secretary of State for Transport, Heidi Alexander, voicing our support, highlighting that:
Public support for change is overwhelming: polling shows that 77% of people favour lowering the limit. Numerous organisations have also called for this reform, including the British Medical Association, the Association of Police and Crime Commissioners, road safety charity Brake, the Royal College of Physicians, and many public health organisations.
In the letter we also drew attention to additional measures that should be brought in, including:
- mandatory breath testing powers for the police and the reduction in enforcement levels to be reversed
- increased penalties for drivers who combine drink and drugs
- specialist rehabilitation courses for those with mental health and alcohol problems
- reforming the High Risk Offender Scheme
- a lower limit for new and commercial drivers
- that the Government pays more attention to drink driving in alcohol harm and night-time economy policies
Please see the full letter below: