Road Safety Minister, Stephen Hammond, has announced that it will be made more difficult for persistent drink driving offenders to get their driving licence back.
Instead, the rules are to be toughened up to make persistent drink drivers jump through more hoops before they can get their licence back. No longer will it be enough to simply get to the end of their ban, they’ll have to prove they are no longer reliant on alcohol and pass a medical.
The new rules come in to force on 1st June 2013 and mean that any high-risk drink driver – which is defined as anyone convicted of 2 drink driving offence in 10 years, anyone more than 2.5 times over the limit or anyone refusing to give a sample – will find it much tougher to get back on the road.
Stephen Hammond said:
Drink drivers are a menace and it is right that we do everything we can to keep the most high risk offenders off the road.
These changes will tighten up the law on drink driving and will mean that the most dangerous offenders will have to prove they are no longer dependent on alcohol before they are allowed to get back behind the wheel.
The new measures will also see those drink drivers who obstruct the police by refusing to allow their blood samples to be analysed treated the same as other high risk offenders.
A sensible move and, for once, it’s targeting the real problem rather than the easy pickings.
Hardeep says
This doesn’t go far enough. Two DD convictions should mean you license is forfeited for good.