Drink drive limit could be slashed even FURTHER for first time in 60 years – as new drivers face harsher rules

THE DRINK-drive limit could be reduced for the first time in 60 years, with newly qualified drivers facing even harsher punishments.

New rules could see motorists judged as being over the drink-driving limit after just one pint, if the government takes on board police chiefs’ calls for changes to the law.

A report by the Daily Mail claims that the National Police Chiefs’ Council, the British Medical Association, and the Association of Police and Crime Commissioners want to cut the current alcohol limits for motorists.

The current limit, which was set in 1967, stands at 80 milligrams per 100ml of blood—roughly the equivalent of two pints of lager.

However, campaigners are now calling for the limit to be lowered, claiming that the number of drink-driving deaths has risen to 18 per cent of all road fatalities, according to new figures.

As a result, campaigners want to reduce the limit in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland to 50mg per 100ml of blood—roughly one pint of medium-strength beer.

This would match the rules currently in place in Scotland, which already has tougher drink-drive limits of 50mg per 100ml of blood and 22mcg per 100ml of breath.

Jo Shiner, the Chief Constable of Sussex Police and the National Police Chiefs’ Council’s roads policing lead, said: “In policing, we see the damaging impact of drink and drug driving all too often, and every fatality or serious injury that happens as a consequence of this is completely avoidable.

“Driving under the influence of drink or drugs will not be tolerated, and we support the BMA’s call for lowering the legal blood alcohol limit.

“In addition to our current powers, we will also continue to make the case for more effective legislation that enables faster interim disqualifications for those who fail roadside tests.”

Joy Allen and David Sidwick, the Association of Police and Crime Commissioners’ addictions and substance misuse leads, added: “Too many families have been devastated by the consequences of drink-driving, with around 300 people dying each year in collisions where a driver is over the limit.

“Even minimal alcohol consumption can significantly impair a driver’s judgement and their ability to react quickly.

“If we are to save lives and make our roads safer for everyone, we must convey the message that any amount of alcohol before driving is dangerous.”

Moreover, lobbyists from anti-alcohol pressure groups and the BMA, the doctors’ trade union, have joined the calls to lower the drink-driving limit.

The BMA also urged harsher limits on drivers who are within two years of passing their test, suggesting they be limited to a 20mg/100ml limit.

This would effectively prevent them from drinking at all before driving.

Senior police managers also want the law changed so that traffic officers can instantly ban suspected drink-drivers at the roadside, instead of waiting for a criminal trial.

This comes as new figures show that intoxicating substances are having a negative impact on motorists, with the number of drivers killed under the influence of drugs increasing from 96 to 144 between 2022 and 2023—the highest in five years.

Edmund King, the director of the AA Trust, said: “Traditionally, our safety message to drivers has always been: if you are going to drive, don’t drink; and if you are going to drink, don’t drive.

“But now it is essential to update that messaging to include drugs.

“A startling 50 per cent increase in drivers killed under the influence of drugs is extremely worrying.

“We don’t want drivers to be in any doubt—drink, drugs, and driving do not mix.”