Crime: Drink-driving

Baroness Gardner of Parkes Excerpts
Monday 8th October 2012

(11 years, 9 months ago)

Lords Chamber
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Earl Attlee Portrait Earl Attlee
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He will, my Lords. The difficulty is that the motorist would drink more than he would otherwise and, therefore, would take greater risks. We do not want people to drink at all.

Baroness Gardner of Parkes Portrait Baroness Gardner of Parkes
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Having just returned from Australia, I have brought back two points about this message. I believe that random testing has a very good effect: the young change their attitude and if they are going to a party, one of them drinks nothing. My other point is that new drivers, who have the highest proportion of accidents, have a nil level for at least one year after they qualify. Will the Government consider either of those possibilities?

Earl Attlee Portrait Earl Attlee
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My Lords, on my noble friend’s last point, during the passage of the Road Safety Bill under the previous Administration, that proposal was suggested. The previous Government turned it down and I believe that they were probably right to do so.