Scotland’s drink-Drive limit will be slashed just days before the Christmas party season.
The limit, which will now be roughly the equivalent of one pint or a small glass of wine, will come into force on December 5.
The Scottish Government will lower the 35mics of alcohol per 100mls of breath limit to just 22mics per 100mls of breath.
Health workers have claimed the change could prevent as many as 30 deaths each year, but Brian MacDowall of the Alliance of British Drivers hit out at the move.
He said: “The UK Government looked at introducing similar moves after the last election but concluded there was not real cause for changing the existing regulations.
“Scotland seems to be going its own way but is entirely out of sync with the rest of the UK.
“This is also going to have a potentially very serious effect on rural pubs it could be a big blow.”
The proposed introduction date is contained in draft regulations laid before MSPs under section 195(4A) of the Road Traffic Act 1988.
Last year, Justice Secretary and SNP member Kenny MacAskill said his party would push ahead with the proposal following a consultation.
Some 138 organisations and individuals responded to the survey, with 74% answering in favour of slashing the limit.
The move will bring Scotland in line with much of the rest of Europe, which already has the 22mics limit.
Last year Mr MacAskill said: “Drink-driving can shatter families and communities and we must take action to reduce the risk on our roads.
“On average 30 families every year have to cope with the loss of a loved one and around 900 people are treated for injuries caused by someone who thought it was acceptable to drink alcohol and get behind the wheel and drive.
“We cannot let this continue.”
A Scottish Government spokesman said: “Drinking and driving is unacceptable and it is our intention for the lower drink-drive limit to come into force on December 5.”
https://play.buto.tv/l4czJ
One beer hits the new limitIt’s not every day you walk into work and are asked to have a beer, but I was more than happy to help out with this one-off experiment.
With the police limit being changed just in time for the Christmas party season, there was only one way to check how the limit would affect the driver that plans on drinking just one pint.
My kit for this job consisted of some cans of lager and a self-breathalyser.
At a height of 5ft 8in and weighing in at somewhere around 10 stone, the unwritten rules of drinking may point to me as a ‘lightweight’.
After finishing the can and waiting for around half an hour, far from stumbling around the office, I was not feeling remotely drunk.
But when I checked my reading on the breathalyser I clocked in at 22 mics well under the current limit of 35 mics, but right on the new 22 mic level.
On this evidence it would appear that the new legal limit means that even one drink could result in an offence and automatic ban.
I opted for a lift home.
Although not a scientific test, it does act as a warning to those who plan to go out and ‘just have one’.