Help Lower The Drink Drive Limit

The Government has launched the Road Safety Consultation, and Alcohol Change UK are calling to lower the legal drink driving limit to 20mg, also known as 0.02% Blood Alcohol Content (BAC).

The current limit has not changed in nearly 60 years and is one of the highest in Europe. This is our chance to push for a clearer rule that says: if you drink, do not drive.

It's time for a clearer law that saves lives.

The Government has launched the Road Safety Consultation, and Alcohol Change UK are calling to lower the legal drink driving limit to 20mg, also known as 0.02% Blood Alcohol Content (BAC).

The current limit has not changed in nearly 60 years and is one of the highest in Europe. This is our chance to push for a clearer rule that says: if you drink, do not drive.

It's time for a clearer law that saves lives.

Help Lower the Drink Driving Limit

We’ve drafted a short email you can send to the Transport Minister calling for this life-saving change, and asking them to meet with us to consider our evidence to review the drink driving limit.

It only takes a minute to add your voice, and it could help prevent avoidable deaths and injuries on our roads.

We’ve included some suggested wording to help you, but please feel free to edit the message to add your own perspective or story, if you feel comfortable to do so.

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Compose your email

Name

Email

Subject:

Dear Lilian Greenwood,

I am writing to urge the Government to consider lowering the legal drink driving limit in England and Wales to 20mg, also known as 0.02% blood alcohol count (BAC) as part of the current Road Safety consultation.

England and Wales currently have the highest drink driving limit in Europe, set at 80mg of alcohol per 100ml of blood (0.08% BAC). This limit has not changed since 1967 and can send mixed messages to drivers, encouraging them to make personal judgements about whether they are ’safe’ to drive after drinking. This is despite clear evidence that even small amounts of alcohol can impair driving ability.

Research shows that:
• A person’s ability to drive is affected after consuming any amount of alcohol.
• Impairment of key driving functions such as coordination, reaction time and attention can occur at levels as low as 0.02% BAC.
• Drivers with a BAC between 0.02% and 0.05% have at least three times the risk of dying in a vehicle crash.

This is why Alcohol Change UK is calling for the legal limit to be reduced to 20mg per 100ml of blood, helping to save lives by reducing road collisions and deaths that have devastating impacts on individuals, families and communities.

Reducing the legal limit to 0.02% matters because:
• It sends a clear message: if you drink, do not drive - this will remove any confusion and guesswork around how much might be ‘safe’ to drink before driving. 
• It would bring England and Wales in line with much of Europe.
• It would help prevent avoidable deaths and injuries related to drink driving, which are currently at a 13-year high, according to the latest Government data.
• There is strong public support for change, with 77% of people supporting a reduction in the legal limit.

The drink driving limit hasn’t changed for almost 60 years. This is a vital opportunity to set clearer rules that help keep people safe on our roads and change the drink driving culture.

Please meet with Alcohol Change UK to listen to their expertise as you review the legal drink driving limit.

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