JJ....yes I am sure somebody has these statistics......but theses will be of "accidents" and will probably show that more accidents are caused by speeding( I guess), but I have given you figures for DEATHS associated with alcohol levels which clash with your comments concerning alcohol levels 2-3* over the legal limit.
The questioner is concerned with alcohol related deaths..NOT speeding related deaths.
JJ...the question IS to do with the "shake up".....but of drink driving. You have given your reasons which I have queried with mine.
It has nothing to do with "speeding drivers" which you have unilaterally introduced.
Less than 4% of accidents are caused by exceeding the speed limit according to new data (page 41) published by the Department of Transport. This destroys the government's claim that 1/3 of accidents are speed related. The facts publicised by Safespeed shows the breakdown of the causes of accidents from 13 police forces from 2001:
Cause of Accident % of Accidents
Inattention: 25.8%
Failure to judge other person's path or speed: 22.6%
Looked but did not see: 19.7%
Behaviour: careless/thoughtless/reckless: 18.4%
Failed to look: 16.3%
Lack of judgment of own path: 13.7%
Excessive speed: 12.5%
It isn't just drink driving that is a concern. I know of people who think nothing of smoking joints and then driving or even smoking one behind the wheel. Zero alcohol tolerance is so difficult, even mouth wash contains it. The police should have the power to arrest and prosecute they feel is not capable of driving. Common sense must prevail.