North East alcohol charity Balance welcomes plans to lower drink-driving limit
North East alcohol harm-reduction programme Balance has welcomed plans to lower the drink drive limit as part of the new national Road Safety Strategy.
Today (January 7), the transport department has proposed reducing the alcohol limit for learner and recently qualified drivers in England and Wales from 80mg to 20mg per 100ml of blood, and to around 50mg for other drivers.
Ailsa Rutter OBE, director of Fresh and Balance supports the change. She said: “Lowering the limit won’t prevent every accident but it will provide more clarity and leave less room for people to wrongly believe they can have a couple of drinks and still be OK.
“England’s approach to alcohol and our roads now looks outdated compared to the rest of Europe.
"Cutting the limit would send a clear message, deter more drivers from getting behind the wheel after a few drinks or the morning after, and support our emergency services who deal with serious crashes on a daily basis.”
Alice Wiseman, director of Public Health for Gateshead and Newcastle, added: “The Road Traffic Act in 1988 made it an offence to drive under the influence of alcohol and has saved countless lives. However, with drink driving incidents having risen again, urgent action is needed.
“Over the last three decades, alcohol has become increasingly accessible and affordable – all of which have contributed to creating a society where alcohol is normalised and impacting on safety and deaths on our roads.
“By having a clear national strategy to reduce alcohol harm, we can begin to turn the tide."