HL Deb 09 March 1998 vol 587 cc16-7WA
Lord Vinson

asked Her Majesty's Government:

How many deaths and serious injuries they expect, on the basis of research by the Road Research Laboratory and others, would be saved each year by:

  1. (a) the adoption in the United Kingdom of European Central Time;
  2. (b) the proposed reduction of the blood alcohol limit for drivers from 80mg/ml to 50mg/ml. [HL831]

Baroness Hayman

The Transport Research Laboratory has recently refined its previous estimates of the net savings in road casualties in Great Britain were European Central Time to be adopted. Its recently received report, which was produced jointly with statisticians from University College London, gives a central estimate, from which there could be significant variations, of about 450 deaths and serious injuries which might be saved. The report is being considered by the Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions and by the Scottish Office. The report will be published in due course.

It is estimated that a reduction of the blood alcohol limit from 80mg/100ml to 50mg/100ml would save about 300 fatal or serious casualties per year.

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