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Drink and drive rules to tighten
Page 24
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by Nicky Clarke • Truck drivers could soon face tougher drink/driving laws which would bring UK legislation into line with some of the stricter countries in Europe.
Responding to a parliamentary question, secretary of state for transport Gavin Strang said he would publish a consultation paper in the New Year "setting out a range of proposals for discussion, including the reduction of the legal blood alcohol limit and measures to deal with serious or persistent drink/drive offenders."
The UK limit is currently 80 milligrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of blood. This is the level after which a driver's risk of being in an accident rises sharply, says a Department of Transport spokesman. About 13,500 HGV drivers were involved in accidents in the UK in 1996, of which 45% were breathalysed. Some 55 drivers, 0.4%, failed the breath test. This compares favourably with the 331,000 car drivers involved in accidents, of which 40% were breathalysed and 2.2% failed.
United Road Transport Union general secretary David Higginbottom welcomes a reduction in the drink/driving limit but prefers the message: "If you're going to drive, don't drink at all".