Plans to introduce a drink-driving limit for the first time on British roads were announced by the government on June 18th, 1965.
A growing number of road accidents in which drivers were found to have been drinking prompted calls for new laws. A high-profile press campaign highlighted the dangers of drink-driving, but the number of accidents continued to grow.
Other factors which worsened the problem included the rapid rise in private car ownership from the late 1950s onwards, wider availability of cheap alcohol after wartime shortages, and that newer cars were capable of higher speeds. People could still be prosecuted under various traffic regulations for drink-driving, but there was no specific drink-drive limit, making it difficult to prove beyond doubt that a driver was under the influence.
Under the new proposals announced 53 years ago today, drivers suspected of being drunk would be required to take a blood test to determine the level of alcohol in their system. Details of what the alcohol limit would be were still to be finalised, but the measure would be part of a new Road Safety Bill to be introduced in 1966.
The move was part of a wider government campaign to make people take more care on Britain’s increasingly busy road network. Other road safety laws would also be reinforced and updated to meet modern requirements and the police would be given extra resources to enforce the new laws, including more patrol cars and stronger powers to test drivers suspected of being drunk in charge of a vehicle.
Announcing the proposals, a government spokesman said: “I think we are all of us conscious of the need to strengthen enforcement if this is possible at all. What is most desirable is that more and more people exercise greater responsibility in the use of our roads.”
It was January 1966 when the new Road Safety Bill was introduced, with a range of measures including new speed limits and revisions to the driving test making it more relevant to modern conditions and vehicles. It also introduced the first drink-drive limit, set at 80 milligrams of alcohol in 100 millilitres of blood, or the equivalent 107 milligrams of alcohol per 100 millilitres of urine.
After passing through Parliament, the bill became law as the Road Safety Act 1967. Also in 1967, the first proposals for a roadside ‘breathalyser test’ were introduced. It allowed police officers who suspected someone of drink-driving to administer a roadside test using an approved breathalyser device. If that test came back as positive, the driver could be arrested on suspicion of drink-driving and taken to a police station where they would be required to take a further, more accurate, test.
Some pressure groups objected on principle to the breathalyser test, claiming it infringed their civil liberties, but their objections fell on stony ground as most law-abiding people backed the new drink-drive laws. It was also an offence to refuse to provide a specimen for analysis without reasonable excuse. The penalties for refusing were similar to those for a drink-driving conviction. The first approved breathalyser device was introduced in 1968.
Following the introduction of the new drink-drive limit, the number of accidents involving drivers under the influence dropped rapidly and significantly. Those who continued to drink and drive soon found themselves paying the price, including losing their driving license for a minimum 12 months. Other penalties include up to six months’ imprisonment and a fine of up to £5,000.
Regular anti-drink-drive campaigns continue to hammer home the message, especially in summer and around Christmas. In more recent years, new laws have also been introduced to tackle driving while under the influence of drugs, with police issued roadside testing kits which can detect the presence of various illegal drugs in a suspect’s saliva.