None for the road – zero tolerance

28 November 2012

With the Scottish Government’s ongoing consultation to lower the drink drive alcohol limit from 80mg/100ml of blood to 50mg/100ml of blood, now is an apt time to state our thoughts on the subject and the reasons why alcoHELP advocates a zero tolerance policy.
In the UK, the battle against drink drivers is still raging.  After all, the number of road fatalities caused by drunk drivers increased to 280 in 2011 from 250 in 2010, accounting for 15% of all road deaths in the UK, figures from the Department for Transport have shown.  Accidents related to drink driving totaled 1,290 in 2011, up from 1,250 the previous year. According to the Department, the country saw an increase in deaths or casualties involving drink-driving for the first time in 10 years.
In response to the report, the road safety charity, Brake, urged the government to implement measures to facilitate the prevention of road accidents involving a drink driver by embarking on a zero-tolerance approach to drink driving.
According to Brake, surveys suggest that there is widespread ignorance about the effects of even small amounts of alcohol, how long those effects last, and what's safe and what's not. Many drivers wrongly believe that it's safe to have one or two drinks before driving, when research shows that even one small drink has a significant effect on reaction times and judgement - and therefore your ability to drive safely.
The UK’s drink drive limit is a shockingly high 80mg of alcohol per 100ml of blood; the highest in Europe - no doubt contributing to the myth that one or two drinks is fine for the road. The EC recommends a maximum of 50mg/100ml blood, but some countries such as Sweden and Poland have a limit of 20mg/100ml blood - effectively a zero tolerance approach.  Should Scotland make the move, it will bring them in line with the majority of Europe, leaving the rest of the UK as the only nation, alongside Malta, not to have the lower limit.
Terry Martin, Co-founder of alcoHELP, commented:
“alcoHELP  would ideally like to see a zero tolerance approach in the UK with the limit reduced to 20mg/100ml blood, to send a clear message to drivers that it’s ‘none for the road’. There is no doubt that lives would be saved, year-on-year, with a lower drink drive limit – even more so with a zero tolerance policy.
“As we approach the festive period, it is a really important time to get this message across. The devastation that comes with the loss of a loved one through any accident, let alone a drink driving accident, is unimaginable.”