Under a major road safety strategy, the drink drive limit could be lowered from 35 micrograms of alcohol per 100ml of breath in England and Wales to 22 micrograms
Ministers are facing a backlash from pubs over their plans to cut the drink-drive limit to save lives.
Under a major road safety strategy, the drink-drive limit in England and Wales could be lowered from 35 micrograms of alcohol per 100ml of breath to 22 micrograms, bringing it in line with Scotland, which cut its limit in 2014. Currently, the limit in England and Wales is the highest in Europe alongside Malta.
Cutting the limit could mean just one pint pushes some people over the threshold. A number of factors including age, weight and sex determines exactly how much each person can drink before they hit the limit.
Representatives of rural pubs have raised the alarm that the sector could be hit by the plans. But ministers defended the proposal and said there are too many families who have lost loved ones due to drink-drinking. And they pointed out that a lower drink-drive limit has not an impact on the pubs industry in Scotland.
READ MORE: New penalty points to be slapped on drivers under major roads plan
Transport minister Ms Greenwood told Sky News: “If you’re going to drive, don’t have a drink. If you want to have a drink, leave your car at home. We want to send that very clear message. You heard just there from from some people who’ve suffered the loss of a loved one.
“And I’ve sat down with numerous families over the last 18 months, and they’ve been asking us to take action. Last year, 260 people were killed as a result of drink driving. That’s unacceptable.”
And she told Times Radio: “Obviously the drink drive limit was reduced in Scotland back in 2014. The evidence from studies by the University of Stirling, [and from the] University of Bath is that that didn’t have a significant impact on the pub trade. They didn’t suffer as a result of that. So we have taken that into account in devising these proposals.”
On Britain’s roads in 2024, 1,633 people were killed and almost 28,000 seriously injured in traffic incidents, and numbers have remained relatively constant following a large fall between 2000 and 2010.
The number of people killed in drink-driving incidents has risen over the past decade, reaching a 13-year high in 2022 and prompting concern that existing road safety measures are no longer working. Some 300 road-related deaths in 2022 involved a driver over the limit. And in 2023, one in six road fatalities involved drink driving.
Among those to criticise the plan include Reform leader Nigel Farage, who said: “This is a death knell for country pubs across Britain. Labour has no connection to how real life works.”
The British Beer and Pub Association (BBPA) insisted the pub sector is “committed to actively promoting responsible drinking through its investment in no and low beer and support of drink-drive campaigns”, and pointed to a decline in alcohol-related driving accidents in recent Government data.
But it also warned that the pub sector “continues to face huge challenges”, adding: “So any additional policy measures that further impact trade will be of real concern to licensees, especially those in rural areas.”
The road safety strategy – billed as the biggest shake up in decades – 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.
An alcohol interlock or ‘alcolock’ is a breathalyser device that can be installed in a vehicle to prevent a driver using it if they have consumed alcohol above a set limit.
The Government is considering cutting the drink-drive limit – but what do you think about the idea? Vote in our poll HERE to have your say.