Dorset residents support lowering the drink driving limit

Dorset residents are supporting a local police campaign to lower the drink driving limit.

After consulting the public, Police Crime Commissioner Martyn Underhill found the majority of Dorset’s residents agreed with the proposed changes.

Over 2,000 people gave their opinion and almost three quarters support lowering the limit to match Scotland and Europe.

PCC Underhill said: “The current limit encourages motorists to “risk it”, a lower limit could make people think twice.”

Only half of the participants in the consultation said they were confident they knew how much alcohol you could drink to be under the limit.

During the forces’ Christmas drink and drug drive campaign, 53 people were charged with drink driving offences.

Of those, an overwhelming majority were male.

893 drink related arrests were made in 2017.

PCC Underhill added: “In 2016, at least four serious injury collisions occurred in Dorset where alcohol was recorded as a contributory factor, but the level of alcohol in the motorists’ blood was below the current legal limit.

“This is why we need to think again.”

With support from partner organisations, the PCC is looking to raise the issue with the government again in the coming months.