§ Mr. HancockTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of drink driving laws; and what plans he has to amend them. [116587]
§ Mr. JamiesonThe number of people killed and seriously injured in drink-related collisions has fallen significantly since the introduction of drink-driving laws in the 1960s. The effectiveness of these controls is monitored regularly.
The Government consider that enforcement of the law is a key priority for reducing drink-driving casualties. To that end, we are planning to strengthen the police"s powers to enable them to carry out evidential breath testing at the roadside. We have also announced our intention to increase penalties for those found guilty of causing death by careless driving when under the influence of drink or drugs and for repeat drink-drive offenders.