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You are in Home > Medicentre News and Features > Nurses call for zero drink-drive limit

NURSES CALL FOR ZERO
ALCOHOL LIMIT FOR UK DRIVERS
Nurses at the Royal College of Nursing Conference last week called for a zero-alcohol driving policy in order to prevent thousands of accidents and hundreds of deaths each year. Carol Evans, a nurse from Cambridgeshire, proposed the motion which was backed by several of her colleagues. However it was not put to a vote, but instead referred to the RCN's Council for consideration.

A formal call from the College would carry some weight, and is likely to receive widespread support not just from the medical profession, but from road safety groups and possibly the motoring associations. A reduction is already being discussed in Northern Ireland and in Scotland.

The current limit in the UK is 80mg or alcohol per 100ml of blood, but nurses say that there is widespread confusion about what people were allowed to consume, and what the alcoholic content of different drinks actually is. The only way to end the confusion and hopefully prevent needless death and injury was to ban it altogether. Most countries in Europe have a limit of 50mg, and Romania, Estonia, the Czech Republic and Slovakia have a zero limit. Only Malta and Ireland have 80mg limits.

Ms Evans said research had shown that just one unit of alcohol - generally considered the equivalent of the UK limit - led people to make poor judgments when driving and reduced their stopping distances.

Pic: Leicestershire Constabulary Road SafetyUnit

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