For many, many years now there has been a culture that “just one won’t hurt” when it comes to drinking and driving.
This has been doubtless fuelled by the limits which have been imposed upon drinkers who also choose to drive.
It’s been long considered that it’s all right to drive after a pint or, at the most, two. But the difference in alcohol volumes and strengths of drink renders this a nonsense.
There might be those who think that the report put before the Government which recommends cutting the permissable level of alcohol in blood for drivers to 50mg is too draconian.
But there will be others – such as Carole Whittingham, who lost her son to a drink-driver – who think that the recommendation is nothing but common sense.
Indeed, there will be some questions about whether the report goes far enough. Some countries on the Continent take a much tougher line on anyone who drives after even the smallest amount of alcohol.
As the law stands now, and with the sun shining and the World Cup in full swing, the temptation is there to have a pint after work before driving home.
Perhaps the Government should really think long and hard whether it wouldn’t, in fact, be better to take away that temptation altogether and impose a zero alcohol limit on anyone who wants to get behind the wheel of a car.
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