THE current drink-drive limit should be slashed 'zero tolerance' levels to prevent deaths and accidents, leading medics have said. Limits in the UK are currently the highest compared to neighbouring European countries. Deaths caused by drink-driving haven't decreased in the last decade and almost a fifth of all road deaths are caused by people drunk behind the wheel, the British Medical Association (BMA) warned.
Collisions and deaths caused by drivers who have been taking drugs have “escalated” during the same time frame, the BMA added. The union, with other medical bodies, alcohol and road safety charities and organisations representing emergency services, called for action to reduce the current levels of harm. They called for the drink-drive limit to be reduced, accompanied by “adequate enforcement and education”.
This would involve increasing alcohol and drug treatment services and launching social media campaigns highlighting the health risks of drink driving . The statement also calls for mandatory labelling on alcohol products which says there is “no safe level of drinking before driving”. The current drink drive limit, measured by alcohol levels in the blood, is 80 milligrammes of alcohol per 100 millilitres of blood in England , Wales and Northern Ireland – the highest level in Europe .
In Scotland it is 50 milligrammes of alcohol per 100 millilitres of blood. But the new consensus statement calls for the limit to be reduced to 20mg/100ml for all new and.
