Vera Baird DBE KC

Writer, Lecturer, Parliamentary Consultant and Co-Director of Astraea: Gender Justice

North East PCCs call to reduce the breathalyser limit

Today, the government has announced a number of measures to improve road safety – but miss out one important factor, reducing the limit. The three North East PCCs welcome any initiative that will help make our roads safer, but Commissioner Baird, along with her colleagues, Ron Hogg, PCC for Durham and Barry Coppinger, PCC for Cleveland have reinforced their call for the government to lower the drink drive limit.

Dame Vera Baird said “Scotland have already lead the way in reducing the drink drive limit to 50mg and it has had a real positive effect. In the first three months of the new limit, offences went down by 17%. If the government really want to make our roads safer, new legislation to reduce the drink drive limit will achieve this”

Commissioner Hogg added “The three PCCs for the North East are determined to do all that we can to make our roads safer – we will continue to work in partnership to encourage government to take the common sense approach of reducing the limit that will make our roads safer”.

Cleveland’s Police and Crime Commissioner, Barry Coppinger said “Lowering the limit would save an estimated £300 million nationally every year, by reducing the cost of the police and ambulance services and cutting hospital admissions. This money could be reinvested back in to our emergency services”

The three North East Police and Crime Commissioners will continue to lobby government, encouraging them to take the common sense approach of reducing the drink drive limit to ensure safety on our roads


Posted

in

, ,

by