Campaigners demand drink-drive cut

The government is being urged today to set a lower drink-drive limit.

Campaigners say it should be brought down in line with those set in other EU countries.

The UK drink-drive limit is 80mg of alcohol per 100ml of blood. But groups, including the Parliamentary Advisory Council for Transport Safety (PACTS), Brake the road safety charity and the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents, want it lowered immediately to 50mg.

Today PACTS called on road safety minister David Jamieson to back the cut in a bid to save lives.

It also called for the high-risk offenders limit to be lowered from 200mg to 160mg. This category applies to the worst-case drink-drivers who are forced to undergo medical assessment and attend training courses before getting their driving licences back after a ban.

Mr Jamieson was meeting campaigners at a conference arranged by the all-party parliamentary group on road safety.

However, a government spokesman said: "We have no plans to lower the limit. Our message is not to drink-drive at all."