Scotland’s strict new drink-drive limit could be cut even further for lorry, coach and bus drivers.
SNP ministers are reportedly studying proposals cut levels for commercial drivers. Last month the limit was lowered from 80mg to 50mg in every 100ml of blood. Under the new law, a single pint of beer, measure of spirit or a large glass of wine could put a driver over the limit.
SNP MSP Christian Allard has called on the Scottish Government to lower the limit further to 30mg for drivers of large goods vehicles or public transport.
The North East of Scotland MSP added: “Large vehicles can cause catastrophic damage if they are involved in a collision, so we rightly require a greater standard of training from the people who drive them.
“An LGV or a bus is the last thing that someone with any trace of alcohol in their system should be driving, so we should apply the same principle and lower the limit for people driving such vehicles even further.
“There should already be no excuse for someone driving a large vehicle with any trace of alcohol in their system and that should be reflected in the law.
“I will be writing to the Scottish Government to ask them to study this proposal and I hope that it is one we will see action on.”
This week, Police Scotland revealed the number of drink drivers caught over Christmas fell by more than a quarter following the change. Figures for the three weeks to December 29 show that, of 13,346 motorists who were stopped and breathalysed, 255 were found to be above the new limit. That compares to 348 in the same period last year, a reduction of 27%.
A spokeswoman for the Scottish government said: “While Scotland can set the drink driving limit, all other drink driving laws, including differential limits such as those being suggested, are currently the responsibility of the UK Government.
“While we therefore cannot take this forward now, we do believe Scotland should have the powers we need to make such decisions, including whether there should be lower limits for young, newly qualified drivers or professional drivers.”
