Environment Minister Alex Attwood today announced plans for the biggest shake up in drink driving laws here for over forty years.
The Minister’s proposals include a comprehensive package of measures to tackle drink driving including the introduction of new, lower drink drive limits and new graduated fixed penalties.
Commenting on the proposals, Alex Attwood said: “Great improvements have been made in the drink driving culture in Northern Ireland over the last two decades. Unfortunately more needs to be done. Over the last five years 75 people have been killed and 473 seriously injured by drivers impaired by drink or drugs.
“This is totally unacceptable and I am determined to do what I can to tackle this issue once and for all.
“I have listened to the public on this. There is widespread public support for a step change in how we deal with drink drivers and I believe that what I am proposing will make a real difference."
Subject to Executive Committee agreement, the Department of the Environment intends to have drink drive legislation ready for public consultation by March 2012.
The new legislation would include the following measures:
· Lower blood alcohol limits of 50mg/100ml for most drivers and 20mg/100ml for young or inexperienced drivers and for those who drive for a living. At present the drink drive limit is 80mg/100ml.
· A graduated penalty regime including fixed penalties for first offences at lower limits.
· Random breath testing powers which would enable police to breathalyse drivers without the need to have reasonable suspect that the driver had taken alcohol.
· Automatic referral of offenders to an approved drink drive rehabilitation scheme.
· Removal of the right, in certain circumstances, for a driver to ask for a blood or urine sample to replace a breath test sample.
The Minister concluded: “We must act now to prevent more carnage on our roads. What I and DOE are about is making Northern Ireland a better place to live, work and invest and this will certainly help do that.”
Notes to editors:
1. A drink drive limit (of 80mg alcohol per 100ml of blood) was first introduced in Northern Ireland in 1968.
2. In April 2009, the DOE issued a consultation paper inviting views on a range of proposed measures including options relating to the drink drive limit, penalties and police powers.
3. The planned package of measures to tackle drink driving includes:
• New Blood Alcohol Content (BAC) limits of 50mg/100ml for most drivers and 20mg/100ml for learner and ‘novice’ (first two years post-test) drivers and for professional drivers;
• A new graduated penalty regime that will provide for fixed penalties for first offences at lower limits and court prosecution for high level first offences or any second or subsequent offences;
• Random breath testing powers to enable police to breathalyse the drivers of vehicles without the need to have ‘reasonable cause to suspect’ that the driver has consumed alcohol;
• Automatic referral onto an approved Course for Drink Drive Offenders unless a court decides that attendance would be inappropriate. While an offender may be referred automatically, attendance will remain voluntary;
• Application of the new lower 50mg/100ml BAC limit to the existing High Risk Offenders Scheme that currently imposes higher sanctions upon those drivers whose dependence on, or misuse of, alcohol presents a serious road safety risk;
• Removal of the right, in certain circumstances, to ask for a blood or urine sample to replace the breath test sample.
4. For media enquiries please contact Philip Maguire DOE Press Office on 07788 108 657 or out of office hours, contact the EIS Duty Press Officer on pager 07699 715 440 and your call will be returned.
The Minister’s proposals include a comprehensive package of measures to tackle drink driving including the introduction of new, lower drink drive limits and new graduated fixed penalties.
Commenting on the proposals, Alex Attwood said: “Great improvements have been made in the drink driving culture in Northern Ireland over the last two decades. Unfortunately more needs to be done. Over the last five years 75 people have been killed and 473 seriously injured by drivers impaired by drink or drugs.
“This is totally unacceptable and I am determined to do what I can to tackle this issue once and for all.
“I have listened to the public on this. There is widespread public support for a step change in how we deal with drink drivers and I believe that what I am proposing will make a real difference."
Subject to Executive Committee agreement, the Department of the Environment intends to have drink drive legislation ready for public consultation by March 2012.
The new legislation would include the following measures:
· Lower blood alcohol limits of 50mg/100ml for most drivers and 20mg/100ml for young or inexperienced drivers and for those who drive for a living. At present the drink drive limit is 80mg/100ml.
· A graduated penalty regime including fixed penalties for first offences at lower limits.
· Random breath testing powers which would enable police to breathalyse drivers without the need to have reasonable suspect that the driver had taken alcohol.
· Automatic referral of offenders to an approved drink drive rehabilitation scheme.
· Removal of the right, in certain circumstances, for a driver to ask for a blood or urine sample to replace a breath test sample.
The Minister concluded: “We must act now to prevent more carnage on our roads. What I and DOE are about is making Northern Ireland a better place to live, work and invest and this will certainly help do that.”
Notes to editors:
1. A drink drive limit (of 80mg alcohol per 100ml of blood) was first introduced in Northern Ireland in 1968.
2. In April 2009, the DOE issued a consultation paper inviting views on a range of proposed measures including options relating to the drink drive limit, penalties and police powers.
3. The planned package of measures to tackle drink driving includes:
• New Blood Alcohol Content (BAC) limits of 50mg/100ml for most drivers and 20mg/100ml for learner and ‘novice’ (first two years post-test) drivers and for professional drivers;
• A new graduated penalty regime that will provide for fixed penalties for first offences at lower limits and court prosecution for high level first offences or any second or subsequent offences;
• Random breath testing powers to enable police to breathalyse the drivers of vehicles without the need to have ‘reasonable cause to suspect’ that the driver has consumed alcohol;
• Automatic referral onto an approved Course for Drink Drive Offenders unless a court decides that attendance would be inappropriate. While an offender may be referred automatically, attendance will remain voluntary;
• Application of the new lower 50mg/100ml BAC limit to the existing High Risk Offenders Scheme that currently imposes higher sanctions upon those drivers whose dependence on, or misuse of, alcohol presents a serious road safety risk;
• Removal of the right, in certain circumstances, to ask for a blood or urine sample to replace the breath test sample.
4. For media enquiries please contact Philip Maguire DOE Press Office on 07788 108 657 or out of office hours, contact the EIS Duty Press Officer on pager 07699 715 440 and your call will be returned.
Story by DOE
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