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| Drink-drive limit to be examined | Drink-drive limit to be examined |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| The government has asked a legal expert to examine the case for lowering the legal alcohol limit for drivers and tightening the laws on drug-driving. | The government has asked a legal expert to examine the case for lowering the legal alcohol limit for drivers and tightening the laws on drug-driving. |
| Sir Peter North will give a report of his independent research to Transport Secretary Lord Adonis before April. | Sir Peter North will give a report of his independent research to Transport Secretary Lord Adonis before April. |
| The current limit is 80 milligrams of alcohol per 100 millilitres of blood but there has been support for a lowering of the limit to 50 milligrams. | |
| The government is launching a £1.2m Christmas anti-drink-drive campaign. | The government is launching a £1.2m Christmas anti-drink-drive campaign. |
| 'Public concern' | |
| Lord Adonis said: "Road safety has improved significantly in recent years - 1,000 fewer people now die on the roads in a year than in the mid-1990s - and Britain now has one of the safest road systems in the world. | Lord Adonis said: "Road safety has improved significantly in recent years - 1,000 fewer people now die on the roads in a year than in the mid-1990s - and Britain now has one of the safest road systems in the world. |
| Driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs still leads to a large number of deaths and serious injuries Sir Peter North Paralysis victim's crash despair | |
| "But we need to cut further the number of tragedies on our roads. Drink-driving killed 430 people last year, and research suggests drug-driving is a key concern for the public." | "But we need to cut further the number of tragedies on our roads. Drink-driving killed 430 people last year, and research suggests drug-driving is a key concern for the public." |
| Lord Adonis also said that there "may be a case for further strengthening the law". | Lord Adonis also said that there "may be a case for further strengthening the law". |
| Sir Peter said: "Driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs still leads to a large number of deaths and serious injuries. The challenge is to see whether changes in the law and its processes can reduce casualties. | Sir Peter said: "Driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs still leads to a large number of deaths and serious injuries. The challenge is to see whether changes in the law and its processes can reduce casualties. |
| "The legal and practical issues are not easy to resolve, but I intend to consult widely on these matters." | "The legal and practical issues are not easy to resolve, but I intend to consult widely on these matters." |
| Sir Peter has previously advised the government on road-traffic laws and legislation on marches and parades in Northern Ireland. | |
| Drink- and drug-driving was one of the top three issues of concern in a survey of 15,000 AA members last month. | |
| Two out of every three of those asked said they supported a lowering of the drink-drive limit. | |
| 'Complex issues' | |
| The motoring organisation's president, Edmund King, said: "We welcome the fact that the government will seek a fresh look at the legal complexities surrounding drink- and drug-driving. | |
| "We will be happy to feed in our views to Sir Peter and we are pleased that these complex issues will be addressed." | |
| Road safety charity Brake welcomed the study but said it would delay publishing of the government's new road safety strategy until next summer. | |
| "Drink- and drug-driving is the most despicable crime and anyone who thinks that its general social unacceptability has eradicated the problem needs to think again," said Brake's chief executive, Mary Williams. | |
| "It is disappointing that the strategy is being delayed, however. With the level of carnage on our roads, such a delay is unacceptable." |