Memorandum from Professor Nutt, Chair,
Independent Scientific Committee on Drugs (ISCD) (DDD 40)
Should the permitted blood alcohol limit be reduced
as proposed?
Yes.
If so, is the mandatory one year driving ban appropriate
for less severe offenders, at the new (lower) level?
No—we suggest a graded response of three
to six months ban for alcohol levels from new lower level to the
current level then one year as currently. This will incentivise
reduced drinking.
How severe is the problem of drug driving and
what should be done to address it?
This is hard to ascertain as detection of drug
in blood of other body fluids bears little relation to impairment.
Indeed some drugs may improve driving under certain situations.
There are no meaningful studies on drug levels and driving performance
that can be translated into a threshold test as currently exists
for alcohol. This means that injustice is likely if a positive
test brings prosecution.
The only fair and just response is to monitor
driving or related performances.
It therefore follows that detection of drugs
in a person in control of a vehicle should NOT be an offence in
the absence of impairment, just as it is not a criminal offence
in other situations.
What wider costs and benefits are likely to result
from changes to drink and drug driving law?
Reducing the drink driving limit will save lives
and reduce accidental injury to drivers, passengers and the public.
Costs will be negligibly changed from the current situation.
September 2010
| 
