A pint placing you over the drink-drive restrict, youngsters ready months to get behind the wheel and obligatory eye assessments for over 70s are among the many strict new guidelines proposed beneath street security overhaul
Having even one pint before getting behind the wheel could be illegal under Labour’s proposed cut to the drink-driving limit in England and Wales.
With plans to improve road safety, the Government will consult on slashing the limit from 35 micrograms of alcohol per 100ml of breath to 22 micrograms, bringing it in line with Scotland.
This means that even one standard drink could be risky for some drivers – particularly women and smaller people – as alcohol is processed at varying speeds.
Any changes to drink-drive limits are likely to be a further blow to pubs after Rachel Reeves‘s November Budget hiked business rates.
Chris Snowdon, of the Institute of Economics Affairs, said: ‘After the limit was cut in Scotland, there was no reduction in accidents.
‘Drink-driving accidents typically involve people well over the limit who will only be deterred by proper enforcement of law, not tinkering.’
Data shows one in six road fatalities in 2023 involved drink-driving.
The limit in England, Wales and Northern Ireland is currently the highest in Europe alongside Malta.
Having even one pint before getting behind the wheel could be illegal under Labour’s proposed cut to the drink-driving limit in England and Wales (Stock Photo)
With plans to improve road safety, the Government will consult on slashing the limit from 35 micrograms of alcoholper 100ml of breath to 22 micrograms (Stock Photo)
The power to reduce Northern Ireland’s drink-drive limit is devolved and is set to remain at 35 micrograms.
The road safety strategy also proposes to require some convicted drink-drivers to have alcolocks fitted to their vehicles, and new powers to suspend driving licences for people suspected of drink or drug-driving offences.
Alcolocks are devices which prevent a vehicle from being started or driven unless the motorist passes a breath test.
They are already used in several countries – such as Australia, Belgium, Canada, the Netherlands and the US – in return for shorter driving bans.
The reforms – which are the widest in scope since the Road Safety Act was passed under the Tony Blair government in 2006 – also mean older drivers will be forced to take eye tests.
Motorists aged 70 and above can no longer self-report visual diseases to the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) after coroners warned the system could be abused.
Twelve prevention of future deaths reports since 2019 have expressed significant concerns over the current system of self-reporting.
Just two other European countries rely on this method of identifying drivers with visual diseases.
Daily Mail reporter Jack Hardy obtained ‘illegal’ ghost plates through an official DVLA-registered supplier, without any checks being carried out, prompting a Government crackdown
The crackdown could also see drivers slapped with penalty points if passengers are spotted not wearing seatbelts.
Around a quarter of car occupant deaths involve not wearing seatbelts but currently only passenger with a driving licence can receive penalty points.
Some 1,633 people died in road traffic accidents in 2024 and more than 27,000 were seriously injured, amounting to one casualty every 18 minutes.
Almost one in four (24 per cent) drivers killed on Britain’s roads were aged 70 or older, motivating the most dramatic policy proposals.
The Government is hoping these reforms can help it achieve its target of reducing deaths and serious injuries on Britain’s roads by 65 per cent by 2035.
Twenty-two European countries have made ‘more progress than the UK’ in reducing road crash deaths, the Department for Transport (DfT) said.
Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander said: ‘Every life lost on our roads is a tragedy that devastates families and communities.
‘For too long, progress on road safety has stalled. This strategy marks a turning point.
The ‘true ghost plates’ obtained by the Mail were almost entirely invisible when photographed under infrared light, which is used by road cameras at night or in low visibility
‘We are taking decisive action to make our roads safer for everyone, from new drivers taking their first lessons to older motorists wanting to maintain their independence.
‘The measures we are announcing today will save thousands of lives over the coming decade.’
President of the Automobile Association (AA) Edmund King said: ‘A move to make eye tests for older drivers mandatory is obviously welcome, especially as the likelihood of crashes increases once someone is over the age of 70, and markedly shoots up over the age of 80 to a peak at age 86, with eyesight often a worrying factor.
‘Eye tests are free for people over the age of 60 anyway and healthcare professionals advise them every two years given they can help with diagnosis of other underlying conditions.’
Nicholas Lyes, director of policy and standards at charity IAM RoadSmart, said the measures are ‘robust policies to make our roads safer’ following a ‘lost decade’ in reducing deaths and serious injuries from crashes.
Karen Tyrell, chief executive of charity Drinkaware, added the proportion of drink-driving collisions which cause fatalities has nearly doubled since 2015, so it is ‘vital that this change is coupled with strong enforcement’.
The suggested reforms also include a crackdown on illegal ‘ghost’ plates after a Daily Mail probe revealed up to one in 15 cars could have number plates being exploited by criminals and unscrupulous drivers.
Motorists who use number plates invisible to road cameras face penalty points and having their vehicles seized under new plans to improve road safety launched on Wednesday.
Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander, pictured in December, said: ‘Every life lost on our roads is a tragedy that devastates families and communities’
Tougher checks during annual MOTs will be introduced to ensure plates are readable by automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) cameras as part of the crackdown.
Britain’s unregulated car registration regime means that, because of a loophole, plates using 3D and 4D characters that make them effectively invisible to cameras are not currently illegal to sell.
Ghost plates are already being used by organised crime to evade detection, while unscrupulous drivers are using them to avoid parking fines and speeding penalties.
Under new plans, the DfT will work with the DVLA, DVSA, and the police to review the international standard for number plates.
The DVLA will also carry out more robust checks on number plate suppliers, while new research will explore the potential use of artificial intelligence (AI) to identify ghost plates.
Labour MP Sarah Coombes, who has campaigned for tougher laws on the illegal plates, said: ‘Thanks to my and the Daily Mail’s campaign to bring the hidden menace of ghost number plates to light, this Labour Government has listened.
‘There is no good reason to use a ghost plate, it threatens safety on our roads and allows criminals to go under the radar. But they’ve now been rumbled.
‘The government’s landmark road safety strategy is taking decisive steps to end this number plate wild west.’
Local Transport Minister Lilian Greenwood said: ‘Ghost number plates allow dangerous drivers to evade detection and escape accountability, but we are sending a clear message: if you drive with illegal plates, you will face consequences.
‘As part of our Road Safety Strategy we will consult on introducing penalty points and vehicle seizure for those caught with illegal plates, while empowering the DVLA to conduct more rigorous checks on number plate suppliers.
‘We are also exploring the use of AI alongside Automatic Number Plate Recognition to catch those attempting to evade detection.’
