People Are Calling For 'Alcolocks' To Be Fitted To Cars To Prevent Drink Driving

We could potentially be seeing 'alcolocks' fitted to cars in a bid to lower the UK's high rates of drink-driving.

The Parliamentary Advisory Council for Transport Safety (PACTS) have stated that courts should be given powers to force people with a drink-driving conviction to use an alcohol interlock - a breathalyser-type device which prevents motorists from driving a car if they are over the limit.

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Alcolocks are connected to the vehicle's ignition system. They require the driver to blow into a breath-testing instrument. If it detects an excess level of alcohol, the car will not start.

The devices have proven effective when used in other countries, with PACTS showing figures from elsewhere in the world that made used the technology cut reoffending rates of drink driving between 60 and 75 per cent.

The Council has now urged the government to consider the proposal, saying the "more extensively they are applied, the greater will be the road-safety benefits".

Drink-driving is a considerable problem in the UK. While rates were previously steadily declining since the 60's, incidents are now starting to creep up again.

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In 2019, an estimated 280 people were killed in drink-driving crashes, up from 240 a year earlier and the highest annual total since 2009. Drink-driving accounts for about 13 per cent of all road deaths, and more than 100,000 drink-driving incidents have been committed by someone with a previous conviction since 2010.

The report found that one in six drink driving offences is committed by a re-offender.

The government currently relies on media campaigns, penalties, driving bans and police enforcement to deter drink-driving and potential reoffenders. However, PACTS claims this is not strong enough to tackle the rising rate of offences.

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David Davies, executive director of PACTS, said: "We were shocked to find that one in six drink driving offences is committed by someone previously convicted.

"Since 2010, this amounts to over 100,000 offences - each of which is highly dangerous to the driver and other road users. Clearly the current system is not adequate."

Topics: government, UK News, Tasty Drink, Alcohol

Kimberley Bond

Kim is a journalist at Tyla, and has previously worked at the Evening Standard, Radio Times as well as several national newspapers. A showbiz obsessive and a television fanatic, Kim is particularly interested in celebrity gossip, A-list events and the latest releases on either the big or small screen. Contact her at [email protected]

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