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New lower alcohol limit U-turn could affect car insurance

06 Oct 2008

The government has decided not to implement a new lower limit for drink-drivers, the Times has revealed.

In news which may be of interest to car insurance payers, officials have changed their minds despite research which suggests a reduction from 80 to 50 milligrams (mg) of alcohol per 100 millimetres of blood could save lives.

Evidence given by University College London points to a 50mg limit preventing 65 deaths and 230 injuries a year in Britain.

However, road safety minister Jim Fitzpatrick has told the publication: "We are not convinced that dropping to 50 is the right answer. Drivers who are between 50 and 80mg are not the ones we are most worried about. It’s the ones above 100."

Elsewhere in Europe the limit stands at either 50mg or 20mg.

The Department for Transport revealed in its provisional statistics in August there was a two per cent increase in drink drive accidents in 2007 from 9,400 to 9,620.