Current measures have reached their limit

With the UK Government currently consulting on various measures as part of its new Road Safety Strategy, we sat down with Hunter Abbott, Managing Director of AlcoSense Laboratories - a leading manufacturer of alcohol breathalysers - and member of the Parliamentary Advisory Council for Transport Safety (PACTS).

Thanks so much for joining us, Hunter. Can you tell us a little about AlcoSense Laboratories?

I started AlcoSense in 2005, after a friend was caught unintentionally drink driving the morning after a night out. It scared me; I was 24 at the time and had probably done it myself before without realising. I started looking for a breathalyser to test myself, but couldn’t find anything I trusted, so was inspired to develop one for the consumer market. Two years later, I launched the first AlcoSense breathalyser.

AlcoSense is all about giving people the tools to know when alcohol has cleared from their system, rather than relying on guesswork.

Almost all (97%) of our private customers use the product for the “morning after”. Of those, 53% have received a positive reading when - without checking - they would have driven. I’m proud that we have helped prevent tens of thousands from unintentionally “morning after” drink driving in the UK.

We also contribute to road safety organisations like the Parliamentary Advisory Council for Transport Safety (PACTS), supporting evidence-led measures that reduce drink driving.

Among wider measures, the Government is consulting on lowering the drink drive limit in England and Wales. Why do you think this is being considered now?

Progress on road safety has stalled. Drink drive fatalities fell significantly over previous decades but have now plateaued despite significant advances in car safety. That suggests current measures have reached their limit and are no longer sufficient.

The Government consultation reflects growing recognition that if we want further reductions in deaths and injuries, we need to update the law in line with modern evidence and international best practice.

Many people think one or two drinks is ‘fine', or that they ‘feel fine’ the morning after drinking alcohol - but is that true?

It depends what is meant by “fine” - whether that’s under the legal limit or not posing a danger to ourselves and other road users.

The widely accepted point of intoxication - where alcohol has measurable effects on reaction times, decision making, etc. - is between 20 and 30mg of alcohol per 100ml of blood (mg/100ml). Our current limit is 80mg/100ml; four times higher.

Therefore, it is currently legal for somebody really quite impaired to drive. A category we call “legal but lethal”.

Many factors affect an individual’s blood alcohol reading: body mass, sex, whether food has been eaten, and the timeframe of drinking. Two people may drink the same amount but have dramatically different blood alcohol levels.

Ironically, waking up “feeling fine” the next morning could actually be an indicator you still have residual alcohol in your system. Hangovers peak when our bodies have turned alcohol into a toxic chemical called acetaldehyde and there is lots of it in our blood stream. If you’re not feeling rough (yet), it might just mean your body is still busy processing the alcohol.

The Government has a few options for the drink drive limit, what’s the best approach from your perspective and why?

In 2014, the University of Maryland published a study of 4,000 fatal crashes involving drugs and alcohol to explore how different blood alcohol levels influence the likelihood of being involved in a fatal crash. The findings were staggering and made one thing clear: the higher your blood alcohol level, the higher your likelihood of being involved in a fatal crash.

In numbers, the study showed that at the current 80mg/100ml limit, a driver is 13 times more likely to be involved in a fatal crash than someone who hasn’t consumed any amount of alcohol. Even at 50mg/100ml, the risk is still around five times higher. At 20mg/100ml the risk drops to 1.4 times more likely (37%). The evidence is pretty clear.

Moving to 50mg/100ml, as is being discussed, is a step in the right direction. But the evidence shows we should go further. Many European countries are transitioning from 50mg/100ml to 20mg/100ml limits. By reducing the limit to 50mg/100ml the British Government will merely have transitioned from the highest limit in the developed world to the joint highest in Europe.

A 20mg/100ml limit is also practical for policing, providing a margin for rare false positives to not cause an issue.

The UK should be at the forefront of road safety as we once were. If the Government wants to be genuinely ambitious and regain its position as a road safety leader, it should be looking beyond 50mg/100ml and towards 20mg/100ml.

Changing the limit is one thing, but what else is needed to make these changes effective?

We also need stronger enforcement, better data and continued public education.

Currently, a relatively low proportion of drivers involved in accidents are tested for alcohol, which creates a significant evidence gap. Increasing post-collision testing would improve both enforcement and understanding of the problem.

There’s also a strong case for introducing random breath testing, or road blocking and testing every driver leaving an area, for example, as seen across most of Europe. The ability to stop and test drivers without prior suspicion acts as a powerful deterrent.

Mobile Evidential Breath Testers in patrol cars could also greatly improve efficiency in enforcement, while alcohol interlocks (alcolocks) can support the rehabilitation of repeat offenders returning to driving.

Finally, education remains crucial. Laws shape behaviour, but long-term change comes from shifting social norms around alcohol and drink driving.

While the consultation is open until May and the outcome and possible changes remain undecided, what’s your current advice for any drivers when it comes to alcohol?

The safest advice is simple: if driving, don’t drink alcohol. It’s easier, removes uncertainty, and eliminates risk.

And if you have been drinking, be cautious the next morning. Alcohol can remain in your system far longer than expected, especially after heavier drinking or late nights. Feeling ‘fine’ is not a reliable sign that you’re safe to drive.

Planning ahead is key. Arrange alternative transport, designate a non-drinking driver, or simply allow enough time for alcohol to fully leave your system.

For those who want additional reassurance, a reliable personal breathalyser removes the guesswork – particularly the next day. But it should be used as a safety check, not a licence to drink up to a limit.

Ultimately, the goal is not to stay just within the law, but to ensure you are completely clear of alcohol before driving.

For more information about AlcoSense, visit their website: https://alcosense.co.uk/