2 December 2010
From: Brake, the road safety charity, PO Box 548, Huddersfield, HD1 2XZ
Tel: 01484 550064 Out of hours: 07976 069159 E-mail:
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Recommendations for Government action to tackle drink and drug driving have today been published by parliament’s Transport Select Committee.
The Committee, which reviewed a range of evidence and expert views on drink and drug driving, including hearing evidence from Brake, has recommended that the Government should:
- aim to introduce a lower ‘zero tolerance’ drink drive limit of 20mg/100ml ‘in the long term’, running a public awareness campaign in the meantime to help achieve public acceptance
- strengthen police enforcement of the current drink drive limit, ensuring that it is ‘much more visible, frequent, sustained and well-publicised’, and increasing police powers so they can breath-test drivers without having reason to suspect impairment
- run extensive awareness campaigns to improve understanding of the alcohol content of drinks and the affects of alcohol
- improve detection of drug driving, working towards introducing roadside testing devices
Click here to read the Committee’s recommendations in full.
Brake welcomes the recommendations to step up enforcement and education to tackle drink and drug driving, but urges the Government to lower our drink drive limit (currently 80mg/100ml blood) to 20mg without delay – a ‘zero tolerance’ approach that would send out a clear message that it’s none for the road. Brake is highlighting that there is already widespread support for this lower limit, revealed in its survey published earlier this year.
Read Brake’s full recommendations for Government action on drink and drug driving submitted to the Transport Select Committee
Julie Townsend, campaigns director at Brake, says: “Every day more families suffer the agony of a bereavement or serious injury at the hands of drunk or drugged drivers. It’s essential the Government acts to stop this carnage – and irresponsible to delay. Research, along with evidence from other countries, indicates that lowering our drink drive limit and dramatically stepping up enforcement would be effective in preventing casualties on our roads – and there appears to be widespread public support for these measures. We’re urging the Government to be bold, and act now to stamp out the menace of drink and drug driving. ”
For interviews with Brake call 01484 550067 or email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .
About Brake
Brake is an independent national road safety charity. Brake exists to stop the six deaths and 70 serious injuries that happen on UK roads every day and to care for families bereaved and seriously injured in road crashes. Brake produces educational road safety literature, runs community training programmes and runs events including Road Safety Week (21-27 November 2011). Brake’s Fleet Safety Forum provides up-to-date fleet safety resources to fleet managers and runs a year-round programme of events. BrakeCare, Brake’s support division, cares for road crash victims through a helpline and other services.
