Following the news that the Police Federation has called for a lowering of the drink drive limit, the ALMR has warned that a change to the limit may not lead to a reduction in the number of accidents.
The ALMR has also called for a focus on promoting existing schemes to tackle problem drinkers, following comments by the Police Federation in today’s press.
ALMR Chief Executive Kate Nicholls said: “The Police Federation has stated that warnings regarding drink driving are not getting through to certain sections of the populace. In that case, a more fruitful plan of attack might be to increase public awareness of the current limit and to focus on engagement and enforcement rather than new legislation.
“Almost two thirds of drivers and riders killed on our roads, exceeding the alcohol limit, were over twice the legal limit. We need to focus on reaching and tackling those individuals who continually flout the law, drinking to excess and endangering lives. Decreasing the drink drive limit is unlikely to affect this small number of problem drivers who continually drink to the risk of getting caught, rather than the legal limit.
“A concerted effort to increase public awareness of current schemes, rather than a changing of the rules, is perhaps the best course of action, rather than a cursory lowering of the limit which is unlikely to tackle the root of the problem.”
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