Drink driving limit in the news... lower?

[Loosehead]

Should it be lowered? I'm tempted to say zero but I don't want to be nicked for eating a spoon full of trifle so I reckon there should be a "trace" threshold. What do you think?

[Paul22118]

To me zero is unequivical. No booze is nothing is dry is safe.
I take your point about the sherry trifle so lets settle on 10mg.
Howzatt?

[Oneeyedvic]

Actually, I'm quite happy with it as it is. I can often go out at night for a meal and can be content with three weak shandies or two small glasses of wine. Both of these would make me way under the current limit but over yours.

I don't think that there is any particular problem with current limit - is there some new research out?

As with all laws - the majority of 'good' people will stick to them, and the 'bad' people will break them. I don't believe there is anything wrong with what I do - and I know that tiredness has been proven to be more detrimental to your driving than too much alcohol (within limits)

[Goodsoulette]

2 small (125ml) glasses wouldn't make you over the limit, when drinking 10 hours before driving, would it? If they lowered it so that no one could think they could have a drink, even one, and then get in a car and drive would be good. So many people I know think they are okay to drive after 2 glasses of red, when in fact they have just drunk half a litre of wine.

[tufty7]

There is probably nothing wrong with the limit as it is now, however we are constantly reading about clowns who abitually drink and drive day in day out so they are constantly topping up and are continually over the limit , they are the ones who need catching and punishing , car should be impounded, and sold, they should be banned and there licence taken off them ,

after the disqualification they should have to re set and pass the test again and have a new "DD" (drunk driver) plate on there car for two years so we all know what they have done , there is nothing like shaming anyone into corrective behaviour,

Of course this should be across the board and not exclude footballers or celebrities........

[Lucy Thomas]

Some countries I believe have a limit of 5mg. This allows you to drive the day after having a good drink with a small trace of alcohol in your system but not enough to be detrimental to driving.

The problem in this country is that people always try to 'pinch' a bit more. They say that two pints of beer will put the average person on the limit. So people think that one more won't hurt.

If the limit was halved so that one pint would put you at the limit then those who wanted to have that 'one over' would be within safe limits.

Personally, I would go for as low a limit as possible.

[kwicky]

Lets face it, for drivers to comply even with the present limit all pubs will need to be closed down Find a pub with an empty car park and you would know the message is getting across. But instead during the hours of 10 and midnight is like playing Russian roulette.

[stensonlad]

im sick to death of hearing people moaning about drinking and smocking! if its that much of a problem lets ban them altogether and make them completely illegal rather than ******** about with the units your allowed to drink or the age which your allowed to drink or smoke.
people that drive over the limit now or drink and smoke under age now are going to do so no matter where you put the goal posts.
i think the present drink drive limit now is fine as it is! and a lot more should be done about drug related offences including driving under the influence of them,boy racers and the insurance companies that insure them and some of the dangerous old people that are on our roads which cause their fair share of accidents.

[youngmafbog]

Before tampering with the law lets enforce the once we have. Just like we should with most things.

Until we are ready to put more proper coppers on our streets and have the b*llocks to deal with criminals ie lock 'em up for a good period of time then no point in tinkering.

[persianlady]

i think the present limits are sufficient. The trouble is as someone has already pointed out, they are not enforced. And the penalties when they are are not tough enough. So what if the prisons are full. Build more. Or stop making them so cushy, so that people would not want to go there and avoid getting into trouble. British prisons must be the most comfortable in the world. Hardly a deterrent!

[gelda]

Bring back bread and water and the ball and chain, that'll empty a few prisons! Oh I forgot, Human Rights!