"Time to give the
public what they want": North proposes crack down on drink and
drug driving
Issued by the News
Distribution Service on behalf of the North Review of Drink and
Drug Driving Law.
In the first major review of drink and drug driving law since
1976, Sir Peter North recommends that the drink drive limit is
reduced from 80mg/100ml to 50mg/100ml and that there should be a
step-by-step assault on drug-driving.
Drawing on comprehensive new research commissioned from the
National Institute of Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE), Sir
Peter estimates that tens, perhaps even hundreds, of lives could
be saved annually by reducing the blood alcohol limit to 50
mg/100ml, to say nothing of the possibly thousands of injuries
that would be avoided. NICE's high-end estimates suggest
that as many as 168 lives - approximately 7% of current road
deaths in Great Britain - could be saved in the first year of a
reduced limit, rising to as many as 303 lives saved by the 6th
year following any change in the law. Sir Peter also recommends
maintaining the current 12-month mandatory driving ban at the
lower limit.
Tasked to independently review both drink and drug driving law,
Sir Peter makes 51 recommendations to the Secretary of State for
Transport in a bid to reduce drink and drug driving casualties.
The most recent statistics showed 430 drink drive deaths and 60
reported drug drive deaths in 2008, but the report stresses that
many others are dying as a result of crashes involving drivers
impaired by alcohol but below the current limit.
While supportive of the Government's
don't-drink-and-drive message, Sir Peter is keen to
emphasise that a 50mg/100ml limit isn't zero - a driver
could still have a drink without infringing the limit. While the
Review has identified that many people don't know how
much they could actually drink and stay within the legal limit -
old or new - differences in people's response to alcohol
makes setting drink 'quotas' a difficult, and
possibly, risky strategy. Although keen not to damage
Britain's already fragile country pub industry, Sir Peter
said:
"Research conclusively shows the much higher risk posed
by drink driving. With a blood alcohol level between my proposed
new limit of 50mg/100ml and the current 80mg/100ml limit, a driver
has a 6 times greater risk of road death than a non-drinking
driver. Having considered the issues carefully and considered
views from all quarters, I not only believe that it is right to
reduce the limit, but that the public is ready for a lower limit.
It is time to give them what they want.
"Surveys also tell us that the public is in favour of
lengthy bans for drink drivers and witnesses have told me that the
current ban is the major deterrent to drink driving. I am
therefore clear that the 12-month ban needs to be maintained at a
50 mg/100ml limit."
As part of a wider crackdown on drink driving, Sir Peter also
recommends that police be given greater powers to check for drink
drivers and that drink drive procedures are streamlined, to
increase police time on the roads. However, he decides against
specifically targeting young people or professional drivers.
The Review also assesses Great Britain's less
well-understood drug driving problem, challenging the lack of
reliable statistics, out-dated research and police emphasis on
drink driving detection. In the short term, Sir Peter recommends
that police procedures enforcing current drug driving laws are
improved, making it more straightforward for police to identify
and prosecute drug drivers by allowing nurses, as well as doctors,
to authorise blood tests of suspects. Medium-term, he recommends
early approval of saliva testing of drug driving suspects in
police stations, which will largely overcome the environmental
problems in roadside use that had previously slowed technological
development of so-called 'drugalysers'.
On the question of a new law setting banned drug levels, Sir
Peter was keen to say:
"The focus should be on public safety. Any new offence
should therefore focus on establishing levels of drugs in the
blood at which significant impairment - and therefore, risk to
public safety - can be reasonably assumed, as is the case now for
drink-driving".
Responding to concerns from patients and healthcare professionals
that people taking medicines would be banned from driving, Sir
Peter stresses that this is not his intention. Instead, he
highlights that although medicines can be as impairing to driving
as illegal drugs, there is an important opportunity for the
relevant parties to work together to improve public awareness and
the driving patient's safety.
Notes for editors
1. Sir Peter North was asked by the then Secretary of State for
Transport, Lord Adonis, in December 2009 to review the law on
drink and drug driving.
Link to: Terms of Reference: Study into the legislative
regime for drink and drug driving - http://www.dft.gov.uk/pgr/roadsafety/drivinglaws/termsofref/
Link to: Written Ministerial Statement House of Commons
Hansard Ministerial Statements for 03 Dec 2009 (pt 0001)
http://www.parliament.the-stationery-office.co.uk/pa/cm200910/cmhansrd/cm091203/wmstext/91203m0001.htm#09120349000006
2. The Review considered evidence from a wide variety of
sources which included oral evidence sessions and written
submissions from a wide variety of stakeholders. These included
organisations and individuals, both Governmental and
non-Governmental, with an interest in motoring, passenger
transport, road safety, criminal justice, drinks and hospitality
industry, health and youth advocacy. The Review considered the
scientific research available including research specially
commissioned for the purpose of the Review and took the advice of
international experts in the field of driver impairment. The
Review Team also made a number of visits to the police, courts and
a toxicology laboratory. The details of evidence considered are
listed in the full report.
3. Sir Peter provided initial advice to Lord Adonis on 29th March
2010 and a full report to the new Secretary of State, Philip
Hammond MP on 21 May 2010.
4. The full report is available at: Report of the Review of Drink
and Drug Driving Law
5. Press enquiries should be directed to the Review Team:
-
email: NorthReview@dft.gsi.gov.uk
- 'phone: 020 7944 4782
6. An AA/Populus Panel survey in 2008 of more than 17,000 AA
members found 66% in favour of lowering the drink drive limit,
with only one-fifth (20%) opposed. A survey by Brake and Direct
Line of 800 drivers also found 71% supporting the reduction of the
current limit. 55% of those in the Brake/Direct Line survey
supported a zero limit.
7. The AA Populus Panel (2010) found 64% of more than 20,000 AA
members in favour of a 12 month ban or longer for breaking a 50
mg/100ml limit. The British Social Attitudes Survey of 2009 cites
71% of people polled favouring a period of 5 years
disqualification for drink-drive offences.
Contacts:
NDS Enquiries
Phone: For enquiries please contact the above department
ndsenquiries@coi.gsi.gov.uk