In December 2014, the drink driving limit in Scotland was lowered to 50mg per 100ml of blood breaking away from the 80mg limit which applies to the rest of the UK. The aim was to improve road safety and ultimately save lives. Last December, my colleague Richard Poole conducted his own research by looking at accident and crime statistics across Scotland both pre- and post- the law change.
Richard’s views are now fully supported by independent research which has been carried out by Economics students at the University of Strathclyde. They looked at evidence from two years prior to the reduction to two years after, not just within Scotland but comparing the number of accidents in Scotland to the rest of the UK where the higher limit remained in force. This allowed them to draw comparisons with our UK neighbours to really assess the level of any impact on road traffic safety.
Their results showed that whilst accident rates had fallen slightly in Scotland from 740 per month to 704 per month over the two year period since the reduction, this change was in line with a drop in accidents across the UK as a whole. With the remainder of the UK still operating under an 80mg limit and experiencing the same slight drop of their own, the findings suggest that there is no direct correlation between the reduction of the limit in Scotland and the reduction in car accidents across the country.
Whilst there are of course other factors which contribute to road traffic accidents such as mobile phone use, speeding, mechanical failure etc., it is a shame that the results of the study don’t provide a more positive outlook. As a personal injury solicitor who is only too familiar with the devastating impact a car accident can have both on those involved and their loved ones, I had really hoped to see significant benefits when the change came in a few years ago.
One positive is that whilst the change in the law may not have brought about the direct results campaigners would have hoped for, it has increased awareness for drivers about when it is safe for them to be behind the wheel. It may well be that the increased awareness has had the impact of less people taking the wheel the morning after. Unfortunately, not everyone is as careful as evidenced by a case heard at Forfar Sheriff Court this week. The driver travelled 50miles of the A90 between Aberdeen and Forfar whilst almost 8 times the national limit. Similarly, a case heard in Perth Sheriff Court in September saw a driver jailed after he had been drinking heavily taking him to 5 times the limit. Whilst there will unfortunately always be exceptions, like the two drivers mentioned above, we mustn’t forget that there has been a positive change in that the number of incidents has lowered overall in recent years.
Whilst it does appear the reduction has failed to directly bring about the significant road safety benefits that most would have hoped for, alternative options or campaigns should continue to be explored to improve road safety. For example, improving driver education for young or new drivers including taking forward government proposals for graduated licences which could see restrictions such as curfews and limits on passenger numbers applied to the driver for a short period, and expanding on current campaigns like Think Bike! would hopefully ensure that we not only look after our own safety but, perhaps more importantly, take steps to prevent putting other road users at risk.
