Volunteers sought for drink driving lock pilot
Convicted drink drivers in Birmingham and Bristol are being asked to volunteer for a new research project to test alcohol ignition locks.
The locks are fitted to a car’s ignition and when the driver wishes to start the car, they must take a breath test to check their blood alcohol level. If it is over the permitted limit, the car will not start.
If the 18 month pilot proves successful, new legislation could be introduced to allow the courts to use the locks as part of their drink driving rehabilitation programmes.
Official statistics suggest that over 3,000 people are killed or seriously injured by drink driving every year. Drink driving related deaths fell in the late 1990s, but have recently begun to rise again.
Around 100,000 drivers a year are convicted of drink driving, of whom around 20 per cent are repeat offenders.
Transport Minister David Jamieson said: “Alcohol lock programmes in other countries have worked well with repeat drink drivers and it is vital that we look at how the technology could be received here too.
“There are a lot of issues to be explored but I’d like to see it legislated for as soon as possible.”
The locks are already in operation in parts of America and Canada, and are being trialled in a number of European countries.
