GOVERNMENT DRAGGING ITS HEELS ON DRINK-DRIVE LIMIT

4.49.56pm BST (GMT +0100) Wed 30th Apr 2008

A local Euro-MP has criticised the government for taking too long to look into lowering the drink-drive limit, despite Britain having a higher limit and a lower breathalyser test-rate than most other EU countries.

The government's consultation paper on changing the drink-drive limit will be published in several weeks' time, while evidence has existed for years suggesting that lives would be saved by lowering it from 80mg of alcohol per 100ml of blood to 50mg/100ml.

Liz Lynne MEP commented:

"The Police want it, The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents wants it and research suggests dozens of lives and millions of pounds could be saved by lowering the limit. Yet this consultation has been too long coming, considering the appalling drink-driving record of this country.

"On the basis of available evidence, I feel lowering the limit would be a good thing and, if backed up by solid enforcement, it will make our roads safer. What no-one disputes is that drink-driving currently costs the economy millions in medical expense and lost working time.

"Yet there are clearly lessons to be learned from other countries. Why for example have the Netherlands and Germany more than halved drink-drive deaths in recent years, while this country has seen a long-term rise? And when just 9% of Britons have been breath-tested over three years, compared to almost two-thirds of drivers in the Netherlands and Finland, perhaps the overall drink-drive strategy also needs looking at."