The Drink Drive Limit safe - for now
Transport Secretary Philip Hammond has ordered reports on the effect a proposed reduction in the drink drive limit would have on the rural economy.
Having already criminalised a huge swathe of the motoring population of the UK by sticking endless ‘Safety’ Cameras anywhere they will catch drivers unaware and rake in huge fines, it seemed the Con-Dems were about to emulate the last administration’s actions on motorists and move to a stupidly low drink drive alcohol limit to try and criminalise the handful of motorists the speed cameras hadn’t already nabbed.
Earlier this summer a quango report – lead by ‘Expert’ Sir Peter North – declared that the UK’s drink drive limit should be lowered from the current 80mg of alcohol per 100ml of blood to 50mg – less than a pint for most people.
In our risk averse, nanny-state, ‘elf ‘n’ safety obsessed world it seemed a dead cert that the UK would adopt a lower limit – as the report recommended – in line with much of Europe. After all, there’d be money to be made, motorists to criminalise and ‘elf ‘n’ safety headlines to be garnered. And the unfortunately-named Lord Adonis (Labour’s Transport Secretary) had indicated Labour would be up for implementing the findings of the report.
Which would have been a real hammer blow to UK motorists. We all know that a 50mg limit in France or Spain or Italy or anywhere else in Europe is effectively notional. The police don’t go out looking for that ‘Treasonous’ motorist who had two glasses of wine with dinner. The limit is there for exceptional circumstances, but in normal circumstances wouldn’t be enforced (unless you’re an English motorist in France – but that’s a given).
But in the UK we don’t understand that rules are for the guidance of wise men and the observation of fools, so the lower limit would have been enforced with glee. That would see perfectly safe drivers being banned and penalised for years for having the temerity to have that second glass of wine with dinner.
Sons and daughters would be banned from driving for having a second helping of mum’s trifle when they go to visit (well, my mum’s trifle). Those taking cough medicine would find their linctus put them in peril and wine gum sales would plummet. And the rural economy would suffer as motorists stayed at home with a decent bottle (or two) of this week’s 25% off Rioja instead of venturing out to the country pub or restaurant.
But it seems there’s salvation in the form of current Transport Secretary Philip Hammond. Philip started well in the job, but we lost a bit of faith in his common sense when he went along with the daft electric car discount. But it looks like he’s back on form with lowering the drink drive limit and has put off taking action until new reports are completed in November on the effects such a lowering would have on the rural economy.
Not out of the woods on yet another way to criminalise good motorists. But it looks hopeful.
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