Media reports on lowering the drink driving limit seem to have the general public divided. In responses posted on the newspapers website the general opinion seems to be divided into two camps. Those who call for a full ban on drink driving and a lower limit and those who think the ban could be a large blow to civil liberties with the introduction of random breathalysing.
A major report has called for ministers to introduce one of the toughest drink- driving regimes in Europe.
It proposes slashing the legal limit of 80mg of alcohol per 100ml of blood to 50mg and for police to carry out random breath tests.
The news story prompted over 300 comments on the daily mails website.
A single alcoholic drink triples a driver's risk of dying in a vehicle crash, according to a review of research into drink-drive limits published yesterday.
One small beer or glass of wine is enough to lift a driver's alcohol level by up to 50 micrograms per 100ml of blood, the new drink-drive limit proposed by Sir Peter North in a report yesterday. Even at that low level, the chances of a fatal accident are three times higher than in a driver who has drunk no alcohol.
Comments on the Sky News website included:
“Drinking and driving should be illegal. End of. There should be no alcohol in the blood stream when driving. The guide lines are silly because people have different body mass and tolerance levels. So for the sake of parity there should be a complete ban.”
“Here we go again...this is not about saving lives but is governments way of making more money...I totally feel that you should not drink and drive at all, but if you’re caught drink driving and are over the limit the most you get is a ban for a few months to a year or so and a fine...and a lot of these people that are banned (and not only for drink driving I must add) still then drive illegally and if they get caught again what happens...another ban on top of the ban they already have...get to grips the first ban didn’t stop them so what use is adding to it. My partner and I take it in turns when we go out...one of us drinks and the other one doesn’t drink and drives, but if we both want a drink we use cabs or public transport...simple as that.”
The debate around the subject still continues and the affects of lowering the limit on local businesses such as rural pubs and customers remain to be seen.
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