A mother whose son was killed by a drink-driver has welcomed a report which recommends the legal drink-drive limit is slashed almost in half.

Carole Whittingham, who founded Brighouse-based Support and Care After Road Death and Injury (SCARD), said she hoped the Government would implement the measure.

Reducing the limit from 80mg of alcohol per 100ml of blood to 50mg would save hundreds of lives a year, according to the Whitehall-commissioned report by leading academic and legal expert Sir Peter North.

Mrs Whittingham, who started campaigning after her 27-year-old son Steven was killed by a drink-driver, said she would have preferred to see a harsher approach recommended to those who drink and take drugs on the roads.

“I would much rather have seen a zero tolerance approach but it would have been a huge step to do in one fell swoop,” she said.

“There’s no doubt in my mind that it will save lives, but we shall still carry on campaigning for zero tolerance.”

Making 51 recommendations in all, Sir Peter said police procedures enforcing drug-driving laws should be improved, and screening for drugs should be made easier.

He said nurses as well as doctors should be allowed to authorise blood tests of suspects.

Mrs Whittingham said: “There needs to be much more done with regard to drug driving. My son was killed by a drink and drug driver and I have had to deal first hand with what that entails.

“We hope the Government will take the recommendations on board.”

Julie Townsend, deputy chief executive of West-Yorkshire based road safety charity Brake, also called for more stringent measures to be taken.

She said: “Let’s get the message straight so there can be no confusion – let’s make the limit 20mg alcohol or less, an effective zero tolerance approach.

“We welcome Sir Peter’s recognition that new laws are needed on drug driving combined with urgent roll-out of existing drug screening technology and development of evidential roadside testing devices for drugs.

“No one needs to drive after drinking or taking impairing drugs – it’s high time we stamped it out once and for all.”