Overview
- Ministers outlined cutting the legal alcohol limit to about 50mg per 100ml of blood for most drivers and around 20mg for learners and new drivers.
- The wider package has been reported to include alcolocks for repeat offenders, penalty points for not wearing seatbelts, higher fines for uninsured driving, and regular eye tests for drivers over 70.
- Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander called the proposals a turning point after stalled progress on road safety, with a stated ambition reported to reduce deaths and serious injuries by 65% by 2035.
- Publicans in Oxfordshire branded the move a “nail in the coffin,” warning it could deter customers in areas with limited late-night transport and exacerbate pressures from business rates and rising costs.
- Opinion pieces and reader polls show a split over the policy, with critics urging better enforcement and citing contested outcomes from Scotland’s 2014 limit cut, while supporters back alignment with lower limits used elsewhere.