Government urged to cut drink-drive limit after rise in the number of road accidents

hissingsid    on 12 February 2020

Falkirk Bairn makes a valid point. Any reduction of the legal drink-drive limit will have no effect on the hardened habitual drinkers who cause the most serious accidents. They will continue their selfish and dangerous behaviour until they are caught.

One unforeseen benefit of the drink-drive laws has been that most country pubs now serve food, and some serve restaurant quality food. When I started driving, a packet of crisps and a pickled egg was about all one could expect.

Engineer Andy    on 12 February 2020

It would only make a difference if those referred to were in between the proposed lower limit and the existing one. I suspect they aren't - it's more that they don't expect to get caught.

Sulphur Man    on 13 February 2020

Make it zero. No one can work out how much one can drink without breaching the limit. Far too many variables. Furthermore, who goes to the pub for just one half pint or small glass of wine? There's zero tolerance for drivers using phones at the wheel, and rightly so.

Just make it zero.

Edited by Sulphur Man on 13/02/2020 at 12:20

MrPogle    on 14 February 2020

If you make it zero and "no one can work out how much one can drink without breaching the limit", at what time can I legally drive the next morning?

Husbandofstinky    on 18 February 2020

Don't forget to refrain from using mouthwash too as technically you will be drink driving utilising this zero-tolerance approach.

As with the vast majority of the general public, drink driving is frowned upon even below the prescribed limit let alone the unthinkable above it. However, according to a detailed NIHR report (please look it up), there is no formal data to suggest that there is a reduction in accident rates before and after lowering the limit. Compared to the rest of the UK, lowering the rate had no effect statistically and even relative to the rest of the UK, RTA's were actually 7% higher in Scotland.

Although in principle a reduction sounds like a partial silver bullet, in practice and as highlighted by the anecdotal evidence from post number one, the reality doesn't come anywhere near to its objective. In fact, quite the opposite for communities as pubs and clubs will continue to fail and close at an increased rate. In Scotland, onsite alcohol sales per person have reduced following the reduction, again suggesting a backing of post number one's observations and anecdotal evidence.

Definitely a tough subject to crack.

Triostar    on 20 February 2020

Following on from Husbandofstinky's post, Scottish University study a while back, mining very detailed data, found that the lower limit in Scotland had no statistically significant impact on road accidents.

Sulphur Man    on 21 February 2020

@Mr Pogle
I can't answer that obviously.Your comment proves my point - you don't know either. Therefore make it zero.
@Husbandofstinky
1. There's loads of moutwashes sans alcohol, including children's ones.
2. Are you saying community clubs and pubs rely on a healthy disregard for drink-driving to facilitate their business? Just get a taxi there and back, or public transport if available.

David593    on 23 February 2020

So, they are already over the current limit.... How does reducing the limit help in a way education wouldn’t. I guess if you have a chauffeur you’ll be ok... Maybe some research before criminalising almost the entire country with a ‘zero’ limit though as that is barmy. ‘Six days after a half of bitter shandy, Dave was found with a molecule of alcohol in his blood and promptly shot by the new pc and vigilance police’. Noth9ng is perfect and sometimes people die....

Edited by David593 on 23/02/2020 at 10:15