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The long awaited Department of Transport Road Safety Strategy
document was published on 1st March. Happily the Government has
decided not to lower the BAC limit from 80 mg alcohol per 100ml
blood to 50mg in the short term as the Government believe if it
acts unilaterally it might have to readjust to new European regulations
soon afterwards.
The White paper concluded therefore, that although the Government
was minded to lower the limit and the response was supportive
from a range of organisations that they intend to deal with proposed
reductions in the European context.
Since April 1997 another four EU member States (Denmark, Spain,
Austria and Germany) have lowered their BAC limits to 50mg, leaving
only Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg and the UK with a legal limit
greater than 50mg per 100ml blood.
Inspite of this, Britain boasts the lowest road death rate amongst
any of the major industrialised Nations, with the lowest road
deaths per km travelled in 1998 since records began in 1926. |
