Justice Secretary calls for tighter drink-drive controls

Kenny MacAskill, the Justice Secretary, has joined forces with the British Medical Association Scotland in order to restate the need for the UK government to reduce the drink driving limit. The government recently announced plans to introduce random breath tests and high tech breathalyser equipment in a bid to reduce the number of inebriated drivers on the road.

Police have said that they are likely to have access to the new equipment which is expected to result in an increase in convictions. Studies have shown that around a quarter of male drivers and 11% of women had chosen to drive after having drank the equivalent of two small glasses of wine.

Under current law, those drivers who have been found to be over the drink drive limit by a few milligrams can request a second test which can take place at the nearest police station. However, many motorists escape conviction because their alcohol levels will have dipped sufficiently by the time they take their second test.

MacAskill said  that he supported the Government’s latest actions which should come into effect from 2009.

However, he wants British drink driving laws which currently allow up to 80mg per 100ml in the bloodstream to be set at 50 mg. Road safety groups insist that the proposed changes could save up to 50 lives per year in the UK