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UK Toughens Drink and Drug Driving Legislation

Tough times ahead for those who have made a habit of getting behind the wheel of their cars while intoxicated: the British government announced today the new sets of measures to be taken to discourage this behavior, as well as the punishments to be applied to those who break the law.

The new regulations, tough as they might seem, have caused quite a reaction in the UK, with more than one groups criticizing Transport Secretary Philip Hammond to have been pretty much death and blind when it came to seeing and listening to the suggestions of organizations like the Transport Select Committee.

More precisely, the new set of measures call, for instance, for the people who get caught driving drink or drugged, to be denied the right to opt for a blood test (for people whose evidential breath test result is less than 40 percent over the limit). On the other hand, the new piece of legislation does not lower the drink drive limit and it doesn't introduce random breath-testing.

The government says the measures are meant to eliminate or at least reduce the number of casualties resulting from intoxicated driving. The tougher measures (read them at the following link) are meant to discourage those who “flagrantly ignore the limit.”

Independent national road safety charity Brake on the other hand is “bitterly disappointed that the Government” didn't lower the drink drive limit, despite “evidence showing that lowering the drink drive limit and implementing random breath testing would be effective in cutting casualties.”

“We must not forget that drink driving remains one of the biggest killers on our roads. It’s therefore bitterly disappointing that the Government has chosen to ignore evidence showing that lowering our drink drive limit and implementing random breath-testing would be highly effective in cutting these tragic, costly and preventable casualties,” said Julie Townsend, campaigns director at Brake.

“Quite simply, we need a zero tolerance approach to drink driving – including a lower limit, and far more breath-testing – if we are to stamp out this deadly menace once and for all.”
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About the author: Daniel Patrascu
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Daniel loves writing (or so he claims), and he uses this skill to offer readers a "behind the scenes" look at the automotive industry. He also enjoys talking about space exploration and robots, because in his view the only way forward for humanity is away from this planet, in metal bodies.
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