REDUCTION OF THE BLOOD ALCOHOL LEVEL OF DRIVERS

That this House supports the drinking and driving Summer advertising campaign as a contribution to the required attitude change that drinking and driving is a socially unacceptable activity; believes that, although such campaigns play an important part in reducing road traffic accidents related to alcohol, additional measures are needed; notes the research evidence which indicates that the relative risk of driver involvement in road taffic accidents is increased significantly at a blood alcohol level of 50mg/100ml and that, despite advice from the Government and safety organisations that the safest option is not to drink and drive, many drivers still look to the legal limit for guidance about safe drinking and driving levels; supports measures to enhance current levels of enforcement, in particular the introduction of random breath testing; and calls on the Government to reduce the permitted blood alcohol level from its current level of 80mg/100ml to 50mg/100ml.