Police would no longer need to suspect that an offence has been committed in order to stop and breath-test a driver. Breath specimens taken at the roadside would become admissible as primary evidence in court, removing the need to carry out additional tests at a police station. Drivers would lose the right to demand a blood test.

It’s of course nice that the Government are trying to reduce traffic deaths, but the means for doing it are very questionable. And taking away your right to demand a blood alcohol test if the police suspect one of drunk driving is a serious violation of human rights. Breathalyzers are not fool-proof devices and they probably never will be.

The UK Highway Code says:

You MUST NOT drive with a breath alcohol level higher than 35 microgrammes/100 millilitres of breath or a blood alcohol level of more than 80 milligrammes/100 millilitres of blood.

Honestly, 80 milligrammes/100 millilitres of blood is quite a high legal limit. In America it would mean 0.08%, in Eastern Europe 0.8 per mille (‰). Usually the legal limit in EU is 50 milligrammes/ 100 millilitres of blood, and in some countries even less. Perhaps the solution in the UK is also reducing the legal limit, instead of taking away the right to blood test?

There is, however, a good side to the new regulations. As I’ve noted before, reducing speed limits might not have the effect of reducing road deaths, but giving proper training to new drivers would. Luckily, this is also part of the new plan:

The driving test would become tougher, with candidates required to follow road signs to a destination rather than take directions from the examiner. Candidates would have to prove that they followed a curriculum before taking a practical test. Completing the course and passing the tests would normally take about a year, effectively raising the driving age to 18.

Similar Posts:

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• United Airlines pilot was more than three times over alcohol limit before flight
• Northern Ireland to cut drink drive limit
• Senator Kerry’s daughter arrested for drink-driving
• 2/3 of British roads get new speed limit – 50 mph

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