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77% of Brits support lower drink-drive limit
A large majority of British people are in favour of lowering the drink-drive limit in England and Wales, a survey by the Alcohol Health Alliance has found.
The drink-driving limit in England, Wales and Northern Ireland is currently 80mg/100ml, the second highest in Europe (Photo: Pixabay)
The survey of nearly 5,000 people showed 58.6% of people strongly supported a drop in the drink-drive limit in England and Wales to match Scotland, while 18.2% expressed some degree of support.
The figures were released on Friday, the same day as a bill proposing to lower the blood alcohol limit to 50mg/100ml passed through to the committee stage in the House of Lords.
At 80mg/100ml, England, Wales and Northern Ireland currently have the highest drink-drive limit in Europe, with the exception of Malta, the AHA group of health and driving charities said.
Scotland lowered its drink-driving limit to 50mg/100ml in 2014, and after three months alcohol related road traffic offences were down 17%, AHA said.
Research from 2010 suggests that lowering the limit to 50mg/100ml would save over a hundred lives a year, while a 2005 study by the Local Government Association said that £300 million would be saved in costs to the emergency services and hospitals.
Professor Sir Ian Gilmore, Chair of the Alcohol Health Alliance, said: “Studies consistently show that reducing the drink driving limit clearly reduces the risk of road traffic collisions by changing the behaviour of those likely to drink and drive.
“The North Review of drink driving law, NICE, the World Health Organisation and countless others recommend we lower the limit to 50mg/100ml, and it is now time that Parliament votes to lower it.”
Gary Rae, campaigns director for Brake, the road safety charity, said: “Brake campaigns for a zero drink driving limit. The call by the AHA to reduce the limit from 80 to 50mg/100ml is a useful and welcome step towards achieving our ambition.
“One in seven UK road deaths result from crashes where the driver was over the drink-drive limit.”