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Government To Consider Tougher Drink And Drug Driving Legislation
Mon, 07 Dec 2009

The legal alcohol limit for drivers in the UK could be reduced under new plans by the government to make the laws stricter for motorists .

Transport Secretary Lord Adonis has asked legal expert Sir Peter North to examine the case for lowering the legal drink drive limit, which is currently 80mg of alcohol per 100 millilitres of blood.

Lord Adonis said Sir Peter will advise on whether to reduce the current limit to 50mg of alcohol per 100ml of blood or add a new, lower limit with an associated revised penalty scheme.

The legal expert will also advise on whether there is a need for stricter legislation on drug driving .

Lord Adonis said: " Road safety has improved significantly in recent years - Britain now has one of the safest road systems in the world."

"But we need to cut further the number of tragedies on our roads. Drink driving killed 430 people last year, and research suggests drug-driving is a key concern for the public."

Sir Peter said: "Driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs still leads to a large number of deaths and serious injuries . The challenge is to see whether changes in the law and its processes can reduce casualties."

"The legal and practical issues are not easy to resolve, but I intend to consult widely on these matters."

Edmund King, president of the AA, said he was pleased the complex legal issues surrounding drink and drug driving are to be addressed.

RAC spokesman John Franklin added: "Drug-driving has been a growing problem in recent years and clarifying the punishment for this offence should help lower the number of road accidents and deaths involving them.

"Similarly, lowering the drink-drive limit to 50 milligrams should help further reduce the number of deaths on our roads."

The move comes as the government prepares to launch a £1.2 million Christmas anti-drink driving campaign.
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