Half of UK’S motorists back total ban on drink driving
● Study shows 38% of motorists knew or suspected that they were not fit to drive
More than half of UK motorists support lowering the drink drive limit to zero, a new study suggests.
A poll of 2,000 drivers found 54 per cent backed a total ban on having alcohol in your system when on the road.
An even higher 84 per cent want to see the limit reduced in order to cut the number of casualties on the roads.
But the survey by law firm Slater and Gordon also revealed that 38 per cent confessed to getting behind the wheel when they knew or suspected they were not fit to drive.
The findings follow the publication of another report on Wednesday that found the reduced drink-drive limit in Scotland has had no impact on cutting road accidents.
The Scottish Government cut the legal blood alcohol limit for motorists from 80 milligrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of blood to 50 in December 2014.
It argued that the change would help save lives and make the country’s roads safer.
But academics from Glasgow University who analysed police and alcohol market research data said their “unequivocal” results showed the policy was not having the
0 The poll revealed just 5 per cent of people knew the permitted alcohol units
intended effect of reducing collisions.
Jim Lewsey, professor of medical statistics at Glasgow University’s Institute of Health
and Wellbeing, said the “most plausible” explanation for the “surprising” finding was that the lower limit in Scotland was not backed up with sufficient police enforcement or media campaigning.
A Scottish Government spokeswoman said MSPS had unanimously backed the new drink-drive limit based on scientific evidence to bring Scotland in line with most European countries.
The latest poll also revealed that just 5 per cent of people knew the recommended number of alcohol units permitted before driving.
Only one in ten (11 per cent) people were able to correctly identify the current limit of 80 milligrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of blood in Eng-
land, Wales and Northern Ireland and 50 in Scotland.
Paul Reddy, head of road traffic defence at Slater and Gordon, said: “There is still a lot of confusion around the drink drive limit in this country, but it is surprising and very concerning that the large majority still don’t know the guidelines.
“This may be one of the reasons why so many people support a total ban which would remove any room for doubt. What these results do definitely tell us is that more education is needed on this.”
Polling found that 61 per cent who knew or suspected they had driven over the legal limit said they “felt fine” at the time. Other excuses included driving being the only option to get where they wanted to go.