Scots set the bar on drink driving

Tomorrow marks the fifth anniversary of the drink drive limit being lowered in Scotland – and 80% of Scots say the rest of the UK should follow their example.

The Scottish limit was reduced on 5 December 2014 from 80mg of alcohol in 100mL of blood (0.80‰BAC) to 50mg (0.50‰BAC).

This move left England, Wales and Northern Ireland with the highest drink drive limit in Europe, along with Malta.

When asked whether the limit should be cut across the UK to the same level as Scotland a resounding four out of five Scots agreed, according to a survey by breathalyser firm AlcoSense.

A third of respondents also thought that the Scottish drink drive limit should be reduced to zero – as in countries such as Hungary, Russia and the Czech Republic.

A further 20% said the limit should be lowered to 20mg of alcohol (0.20‰BAC), which is the recommendation of the European Transport Safety Council and applies in Norway, Poland and Sweden.

The study of 1,000 people in Scotland found that 53% of motorists have now reduced the amount of alcohol they drink, when they know they are driving either later the same day or the following morning.

Almost four in 10 (38%) say that if they do drive to a pub or restaurant, they will consume no alcohol at all – and a further 31% say that if they know they will be consuming alcohol on a night out, they no longer drive to the venue.

The research revealed, tellingly, that two thirds of Scottish motorists would not now drive even after one alcoholic drink  – whereas prior to the law change they would have driven after one or two drinks.

Hunter Abbott, managing director of AlcoSense Laboratories, said: “Based on these findings, the number of drivers on Scottish roads with alcohol in their system has significantly reduced. The risk of being in a fatal accident increases exponentially as blood alcohol levels rise – even if you are below the drink drive limit.

“With just 10mg (0.10‰BAC) of alcohol in your blood you are 37% more likely to be involved in a fatal crash. Being under the legal limit does not mean unimpaired. With so many Scottish motorists converting to driving with no alcohol in their system at all, the roads are safer than before the law change”.