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| Consultation launched on reducing Scotland's drink-drive limit | Consultation launched on reducing Scotland's drink-drive limit |
| (about 9 hours later) | |
| A consultation on plans to reduce the drink-driving limit is to be launched by the Scottish government. | A consultation on plans to reduce the drink-driving limit is to be launched by the Scottish government. |
| The current UK limit of 80 milligrams of alcohol per 100 millilitres of blood has remained unchanged since 1966 and is the highest in the world. | The current UK limit of 80 milligrams of alcohol per 100 millilitres of blood has remained unchanged since 1966 and is the highest in the world. |
| By proposing the lower level of 50 milligrams, Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill said he believed the change would save lives. | |
| Road safety campaigners called for a "zero tolerance" approach. | |
| Powers to alter the limit were given to Holyrood under the 2012 Scotland Act. | Powers to alter the limit were given to Holyrood under the 2012 Scotland Act. |
| Driver 'confusion' | |
| Ministers have made it clear they want to bring Scotland in line with most of continental Europe as soon as possible. | Ministers have made it clear they want to bring Scotland in line with most of continental Europe as soon as possible. |
| And there is unlikely to be political opposition to the move, with Labour, the Tories and Lib Dems all supporting it. | And there is unlikely to be political opposition to the move, with Labour, the Tories and Lib Dems all supporting it. |
| Road safety charity Brake welcomed the Scottish government's plan, but campaigns officer Ellen Booth argued the moves should go further. | |
| Ms Booth told BBC Radio Scotland's Good Morning Scotland programme: "It's certainly a step in the right direction, what we would say though is lowering it to 50 doesn't quite go far enough. | |
| "Certainly there will still be a level of confusion amongst drivers." | |
| She added: "We're saying the limit should be reduced to 20 milligrams per 100 millilitres of blood, which is effectively a zero tolerance approach so the message will be clear." | |
| The justice minister will be joined outside Holyrood by Deputy Chief Constable Tom Ewing, secretary of road policing for the Association of Chief Police Officers in Scotland, for the consultation launch. | |
| Mr MacAskill said: "The Scottish government has long called for a reduction in the drink-driving limit to 50 milligrams. | |
| "We strongly believe that reducing the drink-driving limit will save lives, and evidence from across Europe shows that alcohol-related road deaths drop dramatically where the limit has been reduced. | |
| "Having secured the powers to take this forward through the Scotland Bill, the Scottish government, as a priority, will bring forward proposals later this year, with a view to the change taking effect as soon as possible." |