Plans to lower drink drive limit

Hamish Hutchinson • Published 10 Sep 2012 09:30 1 Comment

THE Scottish Government is consulting on plans to reduce the drink driving limit in Scotland.

It proposes lowering the existing limit of 80mg of alcohol per 100ml of blood to 50mg per 100ml.

It follows transfer of powers from Westminster to Holyrood and would bring Scotland in line with the majority of mainland Europe.

Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill said, "We strongly believe that reducing the drink driving limit will save lives. Tragically, the latest Reported Road Casualty figures estimate that just over one in nine deaths on Scotland's roads involve drivers who are over the limit. This equates to an average of 30 deaths on Scotland's roads every year.

"That is 30 too many, and we are proposing action to help reduce this number."

The reduction in the existing blood/alcohol limit would also be reflected in breathalyser limits and urine tests.

The move would lower the existing breath limit of 35 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath to 22mcg of alcohol in every 100ml.

Country / Legal blood alcohol concentration limit (per mg in 100ml of blood)

Austria 50

Belgium 50

Bulgaria 50

Cyprus 50

Czech Republic 0

Denmark 50

Estonia 0

Finland 50

France 50

Germany 50

Greece 20

Hungary 0

Republic of Ireland 50

Italy 50

Latvia 50

Lithuania 40

Luxembourg 50

Malta 80

Netherlands 50

Poland 20

Portugal 50

Romania 0

Slovakia 0

Slovenia 50

Spain 50

Sweden 20

Tweet

This article appeared in Alloa & Hillfoots Advertiser 10 Sep 12

Have your say. Post a comment on this article.

• 

  alan
  Unregistered User
  Sep 10, 17:12
  Report comment

  the only way forward is to ban drinking and driving altogether. a zero count is the only sure way that you can aviod loseing your licence. and even more make sure you are not responcible for injuring someonme or worse killing them.
  
  Recommend?   Yes 5     No 0

Post a comment

Your Comment:

Registered users log in here

Username or email

Password

You must be logged in to post. If you have not registered with us, please do so now.

Registration only takes a few minutes. Registered users do not have to complete word verification once logged in and can also take part in competitions and other registered user only features of the site.

Word Verification:
Enter the text as shown.

Return to the main index, get more from this section or browse our News archives.

Follow @alloatiser