PRESSURE is growing on Ministers south of the Border to follow in the footsteps of Scotland and lower the drink-driving limit.
The level was cut from 80mg to 50mg per 100ml of blood on December 5 last year, sparking concerns about people crossing the Border and being over the limit despite having driven legally in England.
Now fire and rescue authorities and the RAC have called on politicians at Westminster to take action to bring it into line with Scotland.
The Local Government Association (LGA), which speaks for Fire and Rescue Authorities (FRAs) in England, said a 50mg limit in England could save up to 170 lives a year.
The RAC is one of the organisations backing the call for a lower limit in England which, it is estimated, would save almost £300 million annually by reducing the number of call-outs to accidents and the associated public sector costs of police, ambulances, and hospital admissions.
Jeremy Hilton, chairman of the LGA's fire services management committee, said: "England has one of the highest drink-drive limits anywhere and we believe that the current limit is simply unacceptable."
Chief Fire Officers Association president Peter Dartford said: "We want to see the limit brought down to make it clear that no amount of alcohol is 'safe' to drink before driving.
"Any firefighter will tell you that of all the difficult and shocking things they encounter as part of their job, serious road traffic collisions are very often the worst."
RAC external affairs head Pete Williams said: "It is clear that that there is an overwhelming tide of opinion among law-abiding motorists that England and Wales should follow suit with Scotland and adopt the lower permitted alcohol limit - which is widespread across Europe."
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