New pressure for cut in drink-drive limit

Calls for the drink-drive threshold to be cut have been renewed after the numbers of drivers found to be over the limit saw little change over the festive period.

Out of 11,685 breath tests carried out in England and Wales, 1,022 were found to be positive. The number, representing a 8.75 per cent hit rate, was just 0.16 per cent less than last year despite an extensive publicity campaign.

Richard Brunstrom, ACPO spokesman on road policing and Chief Constable of North Wales Police, said there been no significant reduction in the percentage of drivers with excess alcohol being involved in collisions over the Christmas and New Year holiday period since 1997.

"The main aim of our campaign is to reduce injury collisions over the Christmas and New Year holiday period and I am pleased to say that we achieved a reduction of 60 (-1.2%) in such collisions over last year," he said.

"However, a worrying proportion of those involved in collisions are still driving having consumed excess alcohol. The sad fact is that in 2004 a similar percentage of drivers in collisions that police dealt with over the Christmas and New Year period had been drinking to excess as in 1997. I again reiterate my strong belief that it is time the Government followed the European Commission recommendation that the blood alcohol limit be lowered from 80mg to 50mg."

More than 1,022 drivers are facing court proceedings, disqualification, a fine or imprisonment as a result of a drink-related collision during the two-week campaign.