Drink-drivers face tougher rules under new road safety strategy

Tougher rules on drink-driving, eye tests for older motorists and automatic emergency braking in new vehicles will be mandated by the government in an attempt to cut road casualties.

- Gwyn Topham Transport correspondent

The first road safety strategy in more than a decade aims to bring in a range of measures, from training and technology to stiffer penalties for offenders.

To be announced today, the strategy seeks to reduce fatalities and serious injuries by 65% by 2035.

The number of deaths has declined since the 1970s but that improvement slowed around 2010, with 22 European countries making better progress since then, according to the Department for Transport. The government will consult on lowering the drink-drive limit in England and Wales, which is unchanged since 1967 and the highest in Europe, at 35 micrograms of alcohol per 100ml of breath. It could be cut to 22 micro-grams, in line with the limit in Scotland since 2014.

Convicted drink-drivers could be forced to use an “alcolock” to be allowed to drive again - a device that allows a vehicle to start only when the driver passes a breath test.