By Joe Jeffrey
Lower drink-drive limit in England and Wales called for by police bidy, following change in Scotland last year
The Police Federation has called for a lower drink-driving limit in England and Wales to that of Scotland.
The Federation, which represents rank-and-file officers, has requested to reduced the current limit of 80mg of alcohol in 100ml of blood to be reduced to 50mg.
Victoria Martin, a chief inspector working at the Police Federation of England and Wales (PFEW) said ahead of the start of the annual PFEW conference today: “We would like to see road safety back on the national and local agenda.
Of the changes suggested, Martin went on to say implementing a lower limit for the rest of the UK would also bring England and Wales in line with other European countries and tackle the “worrying trend” of women drink-driving.
The suggestion comes following research conducted by Social Research Associates that showed nearly one in six women who responded to a survey conducted last year admitted to driving when they thought they were over the limit. Perhaps, equally as worrying, was that research showed many women were also unaware as to how much alcohol would put them over the threshold when it came to getting behind the wheel of a vehicle.
Of Social Research Asscoaites’ findings, Martin continued: “We’ve seen a steep decline in men drink-driving over the years, with targeted advertising campaigns, which is great, but women don’t seem to be getting the same message.
“It seems we have a worrying trend, with females still flouting the drink-drive limit, sometimes scarily unaware, putting themselves and others in danger as well as adding to the drain on police resources.”
As the debate continues, let us know what you think. Should we follow Scotland’s route or simply ban all alcohol together?
