The government’s consultation to reduce the legal drink-drive limit in England and Wales has been welcomed by road safety campaigners.

The proposals are backed by research showing that even small amounts of alcohol significantly increase crash risk. A key study found that drivers with a breath alcohol level of 22 micrograms per 100 millilitres of breath (µg/100mL) are eight times less likely to be involved in a fatal crash than those at the current limit of 35 micrograms.

The legal limit in Scotland was reduced to 22 micrograms in 2014.

“But England and Wales remain an outlier with the highest legal drink-drive limit in the developed world,” says Hunter Abbott, managing director of personal breathalyser firm, AlcoSense Laboratories.

“This means we have drivers who are ‘legal but lethal’ on our roads. The evidence is clear - even modest reductions in blood alcohol concentration significantly lower crash risk.

“It would be a simple, effective step towards saving lives and would bring England and Wales in line with international standards.

A survey carried out by AlcoSense in December 2024 to mark the 10th anniversary of the limit being reduced in Scotland found that 79% of Scots believe it has made roads safer. A similar number (77%) think England and Wales should follow suit and 40% report drinking less overall.

“The Scottish data shows that lowering the limit reshapes behaviour,” adds Mr Abbott, who is also a member of the Parliamentary Advisory Council for Transport Safety (PACTS).

“Fewer people drink when they know they will drive and millions avoid risky decisions altogether.

“The UK once led the way on road safety with the first roadside breath test in 1967. We are now lagging behind. In 2026 there is no excuse for laws that allow impaired drivers on our roads”.

The latest government figures underline the urgency of reform. In 2023, a total of 260 people were killed in drink drive crashes – with 6,310 casualties overall. After years of decline, progress has now stalled. Fatalities have hovered above 200 for nearly a decade.

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7 January 2026

Source: “Drugs and Alcohol: Their Relative Crash Risk” by Romano, Torres-Saavedra, Voas, and Lacey (2014)

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