New measures for drink and drug driving to be introduced

Limit will stay the same, with focus to instead improve enforcement and education to tackle offenders

New measures to tackle drink and drug driving have been announced.

Improved testing equipment to detect drink and drug drivers will be given the green light and key changes made to streamline enforcement of both offences.

The government will also examine the case for a new specific drug driving offence which would remove the need for the police to prove impairment on a case-by-case basis where a specified drug has been detected.

The prescribed alcohol limit for driving will not be changed, with the focus instead on improving enforcement and education to tackle the drink and drug drivers who put lives at risk.

On drink driving, the government will revoke the right for people whose evidential breath test result is less than 40 per cent over the limit to opt for a blood test, and introduce a more robust drink drive rehabilitation scheme, so that we can require those drink drivers who are substantially in excess of the limit to take remedial training and a linked driving assessment before recovering their licence.

Also, approve portable evidential breath testing equipment for the police, close a loophole used by high risk offenders to delay their medical examinations and streamline the procedure for testing drink drivers in hospital.

On drug driving, the government will approve preliminary drug-testing equipment, allow custody nurses to advise the police whether or not a suspected driver has a condition that may be due to a drug and examine the case for a new specific drug driving offence alongside the existing one, which would remove the need for the police to prove impairment on a case-by-case basis where a specified drug has been detected.

Transport Minister Philip Hammond said: "It is just as dangerous to drive impaired by drugs as alcohol so we need to send a clear message that drug drivers are as likely to be caught as drink drivers and that drug driving is as socially unacceptable as drink driving has become."

Further information:
Department for Transport