ACPOS Road Policing

ACPOS FESTIVE DRINK- DRUG DRIVING CAMPAIGN 2008

CURRENT DRINK DRIVE LIMITS

ACPOS continues to support the proposal for a lowering of the current blood alcohol limit either nationally or by means of devolved legislative responsibility to the Scottish Government.

In reaching such agreement members acknowledged that the legislation governing this issue, the Road Traffic Act 1988, is currently a reserved matter for Westminster, as detailed in the Scotland Act 1998 Chapter 46.

During the past ten years, a number of European countries (Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Estonia, France, Germany, Greece, and Spain) have lowered their BAC levels. Most previously belonged to the high BAC group of 0.8 mg per litre of blood, before decreasing to 50 mg; Estonia, however, lowered its BAC from 50 mg to 0 mg.

Australia, Austria, France and The Netherlands have reported studies indicating that lowering the legal per se limit from .08 to .05 BAC reduces alcohol-related fatalities.

CURRENT BLOOD ALCOHOL LIMITS ACROSS EUROPE

Current Blood Alcohol Limits in Europe (Mg/L)
0.0 per mg		Estonia		Romania		Czech Rep
		Lithuania		Slovakia		Hungary
0.2 per mg		Norway		Poland		Sweden
0.5 per mg		Belgium		Finland		Austria
		Bulgaria		Latvia		Portugal
		Denmark		Macedonia		France
		Germany		Netherlands		Greece
		Italy		Serbia/Mont.		Croatia
		Slovenia		Spain		Turkey
0.8 per mg		UK		Luxemburg		Switzerland
		Ireland		Malta

The issue of reducing the BAC limit, which has remained the same since its introduction in 1967, has often been the topic of debate.

In 1998 The Government (then Roads Minister, Lord Whitty) said that it was “minded” to lower the limit to 50mg but it abandoned the plan in 2002. Ministers justified the U-turn by arguing that the real problem was the hard core of offenders who drove when well over the limit.

There is also an argument that the UK courts punish drink drivers more severely than other EU countries. UK drivers serve a minimum 12-month ban for exceeding 80mg, whereas other EU countries with a 50mg limit tend only to fine drivers.

Parliamentary Advisory Council (PACTS) research indicates that 65 lives a year could be saved as a result of reducing the limit to 50 mg and that 230 people a year would be saved from serious injury throughout the United Kingdom.

For the past 40 years, following the introduction of the Road Traffic Act in 1967, drivers who have chosen to drink and drive have been caught and subsequently disqualified from driving through our courts. During this time it has become socially unacceptable to drink drive and many lives have been saved as a result.

There is however a growing trend of young drivers who are prepared to take the risk, sometimes believing that one or two drinks would not only keep them within the limit, but alarmingly would not impair their driving. A reduction of the blood alcohol level would send out a clear message to anybody who intends to drive that the consumption of even one drink could result in arrest, and disqualification, which are only the start of the consequences of drink driving.

There is wide spread support for a reduction in the limit. A survey carried out on behalf of Road Safety Scotland during the 2007 ACPOS Summer Drink Drugs Driving Campaign revealed that five out of six Scots believe there should even be a zero limit for drink driving.

In achieving a reduction to the European average, not only will more lives be saved on Scotland’s roads, but the change would also support the Scottish Government’s plan to address alcohol problems and promote a sensible attitude to alcohol consumption amongst young people

Though the cost of the death of a loved one can never be calculated, the estimated cost of a road death to society is currently estimated at £1,644, 770.