New figures have revealed a steep rise of motorists being convicted more than once for drink driving offences. In response the Government’s roads minister, Stephen Hammond, said “The police and the courts already have the power to seize vehicles in certain circumstances. We are currently exploring how we can make greater use of these powers to get the most dangerous and irresponsible motorists off the road.”
The figures showed that that in 2000, 13,299 motorists received a second ban for drink driving however this figure had increased to 19,605 by 2009. The extent of the problem was underlined further in September when nearly one in 10 drivers interviewed in the Crime Survey of England and Wales admitted getting behind the wheel when over the drink-drive limit.
The move was given qualified backing by Andrew Howard, the AA’s head of road safety.
“We would accept the sanction being applied to repeat offenders,” he said. “But steps have to be taken to ensure it is applied fairly.
“A car is often vital for a household and it would be unfair for a family to lose its car for a one-off serious offence.”
Drivers will lose the right to demand a second blood, or urine test, if they are found only to be fractionally over the limit when breathalysed in a move to clamp down on a loophole that means people can sober up while they await their new test to begin.
This new law will also apply to repeat drug-drivers which is already seeing a move to make it a criminal offence to get behind the wheel having taken an illegal substance, without having to prove that driving was impaired as at present.
Information from The Telegraph
Nov, 12, 2012