Dave Thompson MSP

A decision to lower the drink drive limit in Northern Ireland has exposed delays by the UK Government in either changing the limit or granting the Scottish Parliament the powers to bring Scotland's drink drive limit down.

Northern Ireland's decision highlights the roadblock to reform presented by Labour and Jim Murphy in Scotland and the delay in implementing the Calman proposals.

SNP Highlands and Islands MSP David Thompson is urging the UK Government to follow suit or hand the powers to Holyrood as soon as possible so it can implement the changes.

Mr Thompson has campaigned for over two years for the drink driving limit to be lowered to 50mg of alcohol per 100 ml of blood from the present 80mg.  He has now written to the UK Transport Minister highlighting the decision to bring the limit in Northern Ireland down to a level lower than the rest of the UK and the Republic of Ireland's application of mandatory breath testing at crash scenes as examples the UK should follow. The Calman Commission proposed allowing the Scottish Parliament to control the drink driving limit - but despite the Scottish Government preparing the orders, the UK Government has so far refused to implement them.

Northern Ireland's limit will be cut to 50mg in 2010 with the Republic of Ireland also planning to cut the limit by the end of 2009. This would leave only the Scotland, England, Wales and Malta within the EU with a higher drink drive limit.

In his letter Mr Thompson calls for:

• The transfer of powers to the Scottish Parliament for legislation over drink driving
• Or the immediate reduction of the drink drive limit to 50 mg/ 100 ml as in Northern Ireland
• Compulsory breath tests for anyone involved in a crash

Commenting Mr Thompson said: "Reducing the drink driving limit will save lives.  The European Transport Safety Council has shown that reducing the limit in Switzerland led to a 44% reduction in alcohol related road deaths as just one example.

"The UK Government has claimed in the past that Scotland's limit could not be changed because it would be wrong to have different limits in different parts of the UK.  That argument has now been blown out of the water by Northern Ireland's decision.

"UK Labour are blocking reform, blocking the Calman Commission and blocking key powers that could save 65 lives across the UK each year.

"In a recent letter to me the UK minister Paul Clark said they were getting around to responding to a 2008 road safety consultation at the end of THIS year and including  it in their POST-2010 strategy.  With Ireland just deciding to reduce the limit and bringing it into effect at the beginning of 2010 the UK is looking like it is delaying the process and wasting time for the sake of it.

"How can they possibly keep to a position that a driver can be considered safe to drive in Scotland, England or Wales, when in Northern Ireland they will be considered a danger to themselves and others?

"If it is right for Northern Ireland, right for the Republic of Ireland and right for the rest of the EU there is no good reason for keeping the drink driving limit in the UK at a higher level.

"If the UK government won't do it they should pass the powers to Holyrood as soon as possible. Saving lives is too important for parties to play political games.

"Police, medical organisations, the European Union and the WHO all want to see the limit cut and enforcement improved.  If the UK government won't do it for Great Britain then they should at least let Scotland have the responsibilities to do it instead."

Mr Thompson has also lodged a motion in the Scottish Parliament today urging the lowering of the limit or transfer of Ministerial powers.

Notes:

Dave Thompson's motion reads:

That the Parliament commends the decisions in Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland to lower the legal drink driving limit in 2010 from 80mg to 50mg of alcohol per 100ml of blood; notes the broad range of support for an equal reduction in Scotland by the police forces, European Union, WHO, medical and safety organisations as well as by the Scottish Parliament unanimously on September 17, 2009; highlights the example of Switzerland which saw 44% less alcohol related road deaths in the first two years following a reduction in the limit to 50mg in 2005; notes with concern that the UK 80mg limit was set over 40 years ago and, alone with Malta, maintains the highest allowable legal limit of all EU countries; further notes the lack of implementation of the Calman Commission recommendation to transfer to Scottish Ministers regulation-making powers relating to drink driving limits, and finally calls on the UK Government to either lower the limit or allow Scottish Ministers to do so.

2.      Details of Northern Ireland's plans to cut the drink driving limit can be found here.

3.      Ireland's proposed reduction in the drink driving limit is detailed here:

Speaking from Brussels, Mr. Antonio Avenoso, Executive Director of the European Transport Safety Council (ETSC) said: "We cannot underestimate what a significant milestone this is for both the Irish Government and the Irish people. Minister Noel Dempsey T.D. and his colleagues should lower the drink drive limit, a move that can and will only lead to safer roads, fewer lives lost and more injuries prevented. By keeping the current BAC limit, Ireland risks to soon stand alone among EU countries with irresponsibly high legal limit."

"There is overwhelming evidence to support lowering the drink-drive limit from 0.08 to 0.05. For example, in Switzerland, the limit was reduced from 0.08 to 0.05 on 1st January 2005. The period 2006 to 2008 saw 44% less alcohol related road deaths than the period 2002 to 2004(3). A similar drop in alcohol related deaths occurred also in Austria, whose limit was reduced from 0.08 to 0.05 in 1998", he added.

http://www.drinkdriving.ie/drinking-and-driving-and-the-eu.html