UK: Scotland cuts drink-drive alcohol limit

[webfact]

Scotland cuts drink-drive alcohol limit

(BBC) A new law has come into force which makes the legal drink-drive limit in Scotland lower than elsewhere in the UK.

The change reduces the legal alcohol limit from 80mg to 50mg in every 100ml of blood.

Campaigners believe the new limit will cut the number of deaths and serious injuries on Scottish roads.

The limit elsewhere in the UK will remain at 80mg - the joint highest in Europe.

Northern Ireland is currently considering making the same reduction as Scotland.

Police and road safety campaigners have said an average of 20 people die on Scotland's roads each year as a result of collisions involving people who were driving while over the legal alcohol limit.

Full story: http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-30329743


-- BBC 2014-12-05

[steve187]

I am not sure that lowering the drink/drive limit will decrease the number of drink related road deaths. in fact the numbers will increase, if they took last years figures, and instead of using the 80mg reading and replaced it with the 50mg reading there would be more drivers over the limit.

Its now one pint and over the limit instead of 2 pints, but the mentality of driver/drinkers will not change, they will still say to themself '' i'm ok to drive'' when in reality they are not. By setting the limit at 10/20mg it is then clear NO ALCOHOL CAN BE CONSUMED IF DRIVING. I think this by Scotland is a stunt to say '' look we are doing something'' just to prove they have the power to make laws without Westminster's approval. If Scotland were really serous they would have set an even lower limit as it sends a clear signal - NO drinking and then driving

The only way to reduce drink related accidents is to detect the over the limit drivers, before they have an accident by more road side checks, police enforcement etc. and of course education. the drink driver culture has to be changed.

I am not against the one pint drivers , but I am strongly against the ten pint drivers

I post this as a person that has been to many drink related accidents in the UK and seen/ dealt with the devastating effects this causes

Edited December 5, 2014 by steve187

[Seastallion]

So, come out of the pub just south of the border and you are under the legal limit. Drive a few minutes north and suddenly you are over the limit. They'll need to put up signs.

[daveAustin]

They're all a bunch of pissheads up there anyway so raising or lowering some arbitrary figure is just, well, arbitrary.

[CapraIbex]

They're all a bunch of pissheads up there anyway so raising or lowering some arbitrary figure is just, well, arbitrary.

A rather whimsical response.

[Ulic]

The drivers responsible for the serious accidents causing death usually have 2-3 times the legal limit

in there bloodstream so I don't believe this will make a significant difference to road accident deaths.

This is just a further step in the politically correct world in which we live.

Anyone who can't drive after a couple of beers, probably can't drive.

[robertthebruce]

They're all a bunch of pissheads up there anyway so raising or lowering some arbitrary figure is just, well, arbitrary.

Thanks for that.....

[robertthebruce]

Scotland leading the way as a Nation.......

[JockPieandBeans]

They should have reduced it to zero.

A small reduction will not make one iota of a difference to those that drink and drive.

It will be interesting to see if the first person convicted appeals on the grounds that the rest of the UK is 80mg / 100ml.

[ALLSEEINGEYE]

A population of around 6 million has a death rate of 20 per year and they are still tightening up the laws and educating the population. Thailand has a bit over 10 times the population and over 25,000 (over 100 times) road deaths per year (not all caused by drinking but I bet a lot are). Still no law enforcement (other than a couple days before Songkran for a week) and no real public education.

#2 in the world for road deaths, I guess Thailand is tying hard to be #1? look out Somalia. Thailand is coming for ya.

[NoshowJones]

They're all a bunch of pissheads up there anyway so raising or lowering some arbitrary figure is just, well, arbitrary.

I'm Scottish, and have never touched alcohol in my life, but I do see where you are coming from.

[NoshowJones]

The drivers responsible for the serious accidents causing death usually have 2-3 times the legal limit

in there bloodstream so I don't believe this will make a significant difference to road accident deaths.

This is just a further step in the politically correct world in which we live.

Anyone who can't drive after a couple of beers, probably can't drive.

There should not be any limit, drinking and driving at all, should mean a lifetime ban.

[NoshowJones]

Scotland leading the way as a Nation.......

Scotland is not a nation, they don't have the guts to be one.

[freebyrd]

They're all a bunch of pissheads up there anyway so raising or lowering some arbitrary figure is just, well, arbitrary.

Phil the Greek (Prince Philip to non Brits) once said to a Scottish driving instructor: "How do you keep the natives off the booze long enough to get them through the test?

[lil fluffy clouds]

Scotland leading the way as a Nation.......

Scotland is not a nation, they don't have the guts to be one.

They?

[NoshowJones]

Scotland leading the way as a Nation.......

Scotland is not a nation, they don't have the guts to be one.

They?

Yes, they, the majority of the people, who did you think?

[chooka]

Drug driving now exceeds drink driving in Victoria Australia with more people testing positive to drugs than alcohol.

[Mudcrab]

Police and road safety campaigners have said an average of 20 people die on Scotland's roads each year as a result of collisions involving people who were driving while over the legal alcohol limit.

i would imagine more people die from fighting in Pubs and on footpaths in Scotland trying to get to their cars than actually die driving them!!

[GoNavy]

This is always an issue that aggravates me. So, Scotland has an alcohol limit now and they want to lower it to save more lives!!! What makes them think that if the deaths already were over there previous limit that lowering it will change the stats? These folks were over the limit at 80. Dropping it to 50 still allows those over 80 to be illegal. We have more people/automobiles on the road now. Of course more deaths will happen. Even before cars and we were in horse and buggy days there were deaths on the road. These are risks that we all must accept unless you want to go to foot traffic. This will do absolutely nothing. The folks who will overdrink will do it whether it is 20-50-80 to nothing. This is like putting a band-aide on a GSW. [gunshot wound]

[BudRight]

Okay, so 80mg per liter is 0.008%. That's about one sip of lager, and less than the error in the device.

[Shiver]

They should have reduced it to zero.

A small reduction will not make one iota of a difference to those that drink and drive.

It will be interesting to see if the first person convicted appeals on the grounds that the rest of the UK is 80mg / 100ml.

I think it's worth having some kind of small limit.

Eg. Say you go out on a Friday night, and being responsible, you walk home. Next day you want to go into town to do some shopping, and have some small residual alcohol left in your system, that is legally currently considered acceptable. With zero tolerance it would be very disruptive to all parties.

[Chicog]

I was watching a policeman being interviewed and he said that the only reason they didn't make it a zero limit is that there are medications that produce alcohol in the mouth that would give a false positive.

So in reality what they are saying is "Do not drink and drive".

Which is fair enough, as long as you have affordable and reliable public transport.

[ATF]

Police and road safety campaigners have said an average of 20 people die on Scotland's roads each year as a result of collisions involving people who were driving while over the legal alcohol limit.

i would imagine more people die from fighting in Pubs and on footpaths in Scotland trying to get to their cars than actually die driving them!!

Yes I'd like to see the figures on kebab related deaths.

[finnomick]

So, come out of the pub just south of the border and you are under the legal limit. Drive a few minutes north and suddenly you are over the limit. They'll need to put up signs.

.....or even build a wall with a checkpoint maybe ?

[7by7]

The drivers responsible for the serious accidents causing death usually have 2-3 times the legal limit

in there bloodstream so I don't believe this will make a significant difference to road accident deaths.

This is just a further step in the politically correct world in which we live.

Anyone who can't drive after a couple of beers, probably can't drive.

Total rubbish.

Even a small amount of alcohol will reduce your reaction time.

Meaning, for example, it will take you longer to react to a pedestrian stepping onto the road, therefore not only less likely that you will stop in time but also more likely that you will be travelling faster if you can't stop and so you hit them.

This slowing of reaction time can turn an emergency stop into a fatality!