Lawford Kidd's Blog

RoSPA is urging other parts of the UK to consider lowering the drink-drive limit after publishing a response to the proposal in Scotland.

Experts estimate that a 50mg limit would save between 77 and 168 lives a year in England and Wales, which could increase to as many as 300 lives annually by the 6th year.

The Scottish Government's consultation paper suggests that a lower limit could save as many as 17 lives a year on Scotland’s roads.

Members of the public and young people in particular are being urged to take a zero tolerance approach to drink-driving this festive season to help prevent devastating Christmas tragedies.

A survey of young drivers, released by Brake and Direct Line, finds a shocking three in ten (29%) are willing to take the deadly gamble of driving after drinking alcohol. An even bigger proportion – 53%, up from 45% four years ago – risk driving drunk the day after a heavy night, suggesting widespread complacency about how long alcohol stays in your system.

In 2010, one in seven road deaths involved drink drivers. Around 250 road deaths and 1,230 road casualties occurred when someone was over the drink drive limit. Many more drink-drive crashes are caused by drivers who only have small amounts of alcohol in their blood. A further estimated 65 road deaths per year are caused by drivers who are under the drink-drive limit, but who have a significant amount of alcohol in their blood. Research shows that even very small amounts of alcohol significantly increase reaction times and therefore the risk of crashing.

As the festive party season approaches the road safety charity Brake has welcomed a police crackdown on drink and drug drivers. 

Ellen Booth, Brake senior campaigns officer, said:

“We fully support this vital crackdown on deadly and selfish drink and drug drivers. Every Christmas, and indeed every week of the year, many families are confronted by the death of a loved one, or a terrible injury, caused by drivers wilfully taking these appalling risks. We urge drivers to imagine the consequences for a second and realise it’s never worth chancing your life and other people’s.”

The latest figures released by the Association of Chief Police Officers in Scotland (ACPOS) have shown that the message to motorists about the dangers of driving whilst under the influence of drink or drugs does not appear to be getting through.