Motorists want tougher sentences and instant roadside bans for drink-driving - RAC
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Harsher sentences and letting police ban people on the spot are among the most popular ways to tackle drink-driving, according to the RAC. Around two in five motorists surveyed (38%) wanted tougher penalties for an offence that contributed to an estimated 300 deaths in 2022.
The minimum driving ban is currently 12 months (three years if convicted twice in 10 years), and in some cases there can be a six-month jail sentence and unlimited fine. However, a ban can only be imposed at a court hearing - meaning people caught over the limit can continue driving until then.
Giving police the power to immediately ban drivers was also a popular option in the survey - with 33% choosing it. Meanwhile, 34% said they would like to see the alcohol limit for driving cut to zero. The limit in England, Wales and Northern Ireland is 80mg in 100ml of blood - but nowhere else in Europe has a limit above 50mg.
Bosses rail at business secretary over 'avalanche of costs'. 'Chilling' number of UK drivers caught drink-driving four times or more. Minimum alcohol unit price increases by 30% in Scotland. Scotland's stricter blood alcohol limit of 50mg has been in place since 2014.
A recent campaign by road safety organisation Think! urged young drivers to stick to zero-alcohol drinks when driving over the Christmas period. Official figures in September showed nearly 28,000 people had been caught drink-driving more than once - with 372 caught at least four times.
