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ON-LINE POLL BACKS ZERO DRINK-DRIVE LIMIT

Havering residents are marginally in favour of introducing a zero drink-drive limit over maintaining the existing limit. That's the conclusion of an on-line poll run by the Havering Residents' Association over the Christmas period.

Of the 163 respondents, 47% agreed that existing levels are sufficient whilst 47% would support a zero threshold. Only 6% of readers agreed with a reduction.

At present drivers in the UK can have a maximum of 80mg of alcohol per 100ml of blood compared with 50mg in many other European countries. The threshold in Poland, Sweden and Norway is 20mg whilst Romania, Estonia and Hungary are among the countries which have a zero limit.

Website editor and author of the poll, Cllr Clarence Barrett (Cranham RA), said: “According to a poll carried out last year by the insurer More Than, some 68% of British drivers support lowering the drink-drive limit to bring it into line with the rest of Europe.

“However, whilst EU recommendations are 0.2g per 100ml of blood, the clarity given by a zero threshold would dispel any confusion around whether or not someone is over the limit”.

Although the UK already has one of the safer records for road safety when it comes to drink-driving fatalities, the Government plans to look at the drink-drive limit in a consultation on enforcement this year.

 

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