Drink-drive limit set to be lowered in England & Wales
It's among a number of Government plans to improve road safety.
Lowering the drink-drive limit is part of Government plans to improve road safety in England and Wales.
The road safety strategy being proposed would also require some convicted drink-drivers to have alcolocks fitted to their vehicles, and new powers to suspend driving licences for people suspected of drink or drug-driving offences.
Other planned measures to be consulted on include introducing mandatory sight tests for drivers over 70, a minimum learning period for new drivers, and a crackdown on uninsured drivers and illegal number plates.
Progress on road safety 'stalled'
Twenty-two European countries have made “more progress than the UK” in reducing road crash deaths, the Department for Transport (DfT) said.
The number of people killed on Britain’s roads has generally declined since the 1970s but the decrease has slowed from 2010.
There were 7,763 road deaths in 1972, 1,850 in 2010 and 1,602 in 2024.
The strategy – which is the first of its kind in more than a decade – aims to reduce deaths and serious injuries on Britain’s roads by 65% by 2035, and by 70% for children under 16.
Drink-drive limit currently the highest in Europe
The drink-drive limit in England, Wales and Northern Ireland is 35 micrograms of alcohol per 100ml of breath, which is the highest in Europe alongside Malta.
Under the strategy, this may be reduced to 22 micrograms in England and Wales, bringing those nations into line with Scotland, which cut its drink-drive limit in 2014.
The power to reduce Northern Ireland’s drink-drive limit is devolved to the Northern Ireland Assembly.
Alcolocks on cars of drink-drive offenders
The DfT said some drink-drive offenders may be required to have alcolocks installed in their vehicles as a condition of being allowed to drive again.
Alcolocks are devices which prevent a vehicle from being started or driven unless the motorist passes a breath test.
They are already used in several countries – such as Australia, Belgium, Canada, the Netherlands and the US – in return for shorter driving bans.
New strategy welcomed
AA president Edmund King described the strategy as a “radical reframing of road safety”, while RAC road safety spokesperson Rod Dennis said it “can’t come soon enough” as he particularly welcomed the long-waited reintroduction of casualty reduction targets and the possible use of alcolocks.
Nicholas Lyes, director of policy and standards at charity IAM RoadSmart, said the measures are “robust policies to make our roads safer” following a “lost decade” in reducing deaths and serious injuries from crashes.
Karen Tyrell, chief executive of charity Drinkaware, said the proportion of drink-driving collisions which cause fatalities has nearly doubled since 2015, so it is “vital that this change is coupled with strong enforcement”.