Crime chief reacts to new road safety strategy including lowering drink drive limit and mandatory eye tests
Police and Crime Commissioner Joy Allen has welcomed the launch of a new national Road Safety Strategy including lowering the drink-drive limit, stronger drug driving enforcement, and mandatory eye tests for drivers over 70.
The blueprint, unveiled today (Wednesday 7 January), is built around an ambition to reduce deaths and serious injuries on Britain’s roads by 65% by 2035 – and 70% for children under 16.
Other measures included in the new strategy is an immediate driving licence suspension for those arrested and charged with drink and drug driving offences until they attend court, with a faster turn-around on forensic drink and drug driver testing also in the plan.
In launching the Road Safety Strategy, the Government has announced new consultations covering the introduction of a three or six-month minimum learning period to give learner drivers more time to develop their skills and the lowering of the drink drive limit in England and Wales - which has remained unchanged since 1967 - to align with Scotland and Europe.
Anyone found in breach of the new regulations will also be automatically enrolled on a mandatory National Driver Offender Retraining (NDOR) programme.
The new strategy will also look to maximise new technology opportunities to prevent harm to all road users and the Government have pledged that all motoring fines and offender costs will be reinvested into local road safety initiatives.
Responding to the proposed strategy Durham Police and Crime Commissioner Joy Allen said: “This strategy is long overdue, but I believe it is a turning point – and will save lives. I am pleased the Government has listened to the voices and experiences of grieving families, experts and campaigners in pushing forward the important safety measures we’ve been highlighting for some time.
“These painfully lived experiences continue to serve as a catalyst for change.
“However, there are limitations in what we’ve heard, and I believe the Government must do even more.
“There is now compelling evidence that late-night driving curfews and limits on carrying same-age passengers – implemented as part of a Graduated Driving Licensing (GDL) approach in other countries – can prevent more young people dying needlessly on our roads and absolutely must not be ignored.”
Commissioner Allen particularly welcomes a more hard-line approach on drink and drug driving.
She said: “We must double down on re-education and retraining, rolling out Mandatory National Driver Offender Retraining (NDOR) for drink/drug drivers and other dangerous motorists to change behaviour before tragedy strikes again, and impose tougher sentences on those who cause death whilst impaired by drink or drugs.
“In December alone, 56% of the 109 drivers arrested by Durham Constabulary during its annual enforcement campaign tested positive for cannabis or cocaine, mirroring the national picture.
“The rise in drug driving is deeply worrying, and urgent action is needed to address the epidemic to prevent more deaths and save innocent lives.