Budget threat to keeping drink-drivers off roads

North Yorkshire deputy chief constable Adam Briggs joined motoring organisations and road safety campaigners in telling MPs a stricter limit is needed.

All agreed the move would require tough enforcement – raising questions about the impact of the public spending squeeze.

Mr Briggs was among experts giving evidence to the transport select committee about proposals to almost halve the drink-drive limit from 80mg of alcohol per 100ml of blood to 50mg.

The measure, which would bring England into line with most of Europe, was recommended by a study commissioned by the previous Labour government.

Malta was the only other part of Europe with such a high limit and far fewer tests were carried out in the UK than other countries, the committee heard.

Despite evidence of significant public support, Transport Secretary Phillip Hammond is widely reported to be preparing to reject the proposals in Sir Peter North’s report.

Mr Briggs told the committee that Acpo (Association of Chief Police Officers) backs a reduced limit as evidence shows it would cut accidents and save lives on – but he was repeatedly pressed on the funding issue.

“I am not saying that there are not going to be real challenges around this in terms of the financial aspect,” he told the committee. “But I think that the first thing that we should say from an enforcement point of law is ... ‘where should the law be and what’s the evidence around it?’.

“And then we should target our resources in the best way we can.”

The senior officer also called for a zero tolerance approach to drug-driving – with anyone found behind the wheel having used illegal drugs guilty of an offence. The need to show the drug is impairing driving ability is impractical, he said.

AA president Edmund King said the experience of countries such as Australia showed concerted enforcement campaigns are needed to make lower limits work.

“Police resources and numbers of traffic police have reduced over the last 15 years anyway.

“If police resources – particularly traffic police and those enforcing drink and drug driving – are reduced then the wrong message goes out.”