Our view on calls from the Police Federation for a reduction in the drink-drive limit in England and Wales

RAC chief engineer David Bizley: “While it’s important to remember that there has been a steady reduction in the number of drink-drive casualties in recent years, thousands of people are still injured or killed on our roads as a result of someone being over the legal limit. The issue clearly remains a highly charged one, with more than a third of motorists telling us that they want to see the limit in England and Wales brought into line with Scotland, and almost a quarter wanting to go the way of some other European countries with a zero limit. Nine out of ten motorists also said that having different drink-drive limits north and south of the border was a recipe for confusion.

“The Government says that tackling drink-driving in England and Wales is a priority, but the simple question is now this – with a significant weight of opinion behind a reduction in the limit, are there any solid reasons to oppose one?

“Aside from a new limit, the other side to reducing drink-driving is greater enforcement of the existing law – something that the RAC called into question in February when we revealed the 23% drop in the numbers of full time traffic police officers on our roads.”