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11 January 2005 - RoSPA Calls for
Government to Reduce Drink Drive Limit
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The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) are
calling for the Government to reduce the drink drive limit from 80mg to 50mg
using the new Road Safety Bill. They are also calling for breath tests to
be carried out randomly at any time or place.
The campaign by RoSPA comes as the new Road Safety Bill is now
being presented to Parliament and due for its second reading shortly, which
would be the ideal time to improve upon drink drive laws, in order to gain a
quicker response to the high figures connected to accidents caused by driving
whilst above the legal drink levels. The Christmas season figures
show "virtually no improvement" say RoSPA.
Mr. Kevin Clinton, RoSPA Head of Road Safety, commented:
“The Christmas and New Year figures show no real improvement,
and it should not be forgotten that 560 people were killed in drink-drive
accidents in 2003 - the highest number for seven years.
"Studies have shown that cutting the drink-drive limit from
80mg to 50mg could save 50 lives and 250 serious injuries a year.
"The Road Safety Bill, which is due to have its second
reading next week, included evidential breath testing so that someone who failed
a roadside test would no longer have to be taken to the police station.
“But that does not go far enough. We are now one
of only four countries out of 15 in the EU with a level above 50mg.
At levels between 50mg and 80mg drivers are two-to-four times more likely to be
involved in a fatal accident than drivers with no alcohol.
“If we are to make any real progress with drinking and driving in this country,
the Government has to act to cut the limit now and prevent more needless deaths
on our roads.”
Article by Alexandra Johnston
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