Could this soon be the limit?
Drink drivers would not automatically be banned under new proposals to lower the alcohol limit to less than a pint of beer.
The Government is planning to change the law to a ‘two strikes and you’re out’ system to prevent too many people automatically losing their licenses.
It would mean those just over the new limit would get six points instead of a ban.
The problem is, according to the Government, that some drivers, depending on their metabolism, would be over the new 50mg of alcohol per 100millimetres of blood after just one drink.
Under the 80mg limit almost everyone is legally fit to drive after one drink.
Under the new proposals there would still be an automatic ban for those over 80mg, but those between 50mg and 80mg would get a second chance.
Britain has one of the highest drink drive limits in Europe with many countries already having a 50mg rule.
However campaigners are concerned a new ‘two strikes’ rule would confuse drivers and make people take more risks, but Rob Gifford of the influential Parliamentary Advisory Council for Transport Safety said it was undecided about whether to support ending the automatic ban.
‘If it resulted in double the number of people losing their licences for breaching the lower limit, it could clog up the courts and create more of a problem because people would just drive while disqualified.'
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