How’s My Driving? - Safe Driving Blog Tips
With the Christmas festivities of turkey, mince pies and mulled wine almost upon us, we felt it only appropriate to review one of the most talked about reports. Last week professor Richard Allsop was commissioned by the RAC Foundation and PACTS to publish a report showing some shocking drink driving statistics.
The report states that at least 25 lives could have been saved across Great Britain this year if England and Wales had followed Scotland’s example and cut the drink-drive limit, as well as preventing 95 serious injuries.
The law in Scotland changed in December 2014, which reduced the drink-drive limit from 80mg alcohol in 100ml of blood, to just 50 mg. Professor Allsop believes lowering the limit from 80mg alcohol to 50mg in England could result in casualty reductions as drivers moderate their drinking to comply with a new lower limit.
The data studied of road causalities, was from statistics recorded in 2010 to 2013, during those three years, the number of people killed in a collision involving a road user who was proven to be over the drink-drive limit (or who refused to be tested) averaged at around 240 per year, with a further 1,200 people seriously injured. David Davies, executive director of PACTS, commented in support of the lower limit suggested, stating that: “A driver with 80mg blood alcohol concentration is 12 times more likely to be killed in a collision.”
Public opinion?
Since the controversial report was published, two surveys have produced contrasting findings on the publics opinion. A survey by the IAM, the results showed 70% of respondents said they would like to see the legal drink-drive limit reduced. However, a survey by SmartWitness showed that approx. 62% of drivers in England, Wales & Northern Ireland do not want the drink-drive limit to reduce. So, what do you think should happen to the drink-drive limit?
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22 December 2015