Parliament's Transport Select Committee has today published a series of Government recommendations to tackle drink and drug driving.

These include lowering the drink-drive limit to 20mg/100ml ‘in the long term’ although it was recommended to keep this at the current level of 80mg alcohol per 100ml of blood for the time being.

The MPs that make up the committee also said that the Government should strengthen police enforcement of the current drink drive limit, ensuring that it is ‘much more visible, frequent, sustained and well-publicised’, and increasing police powers so they can breath-test drivers without having reason to suspect impairment.

The committee added that the current 12-month mandatory disqualification for drivers caught over the limit should remain in place and that the Government should run extensive awareness campaigns to improve understanding of the alcohol content of drinks and the affects of alcohol. It also called for improved detection of drug driving, working towards introducing roadside testing devices.

The recommendations have been greeted by road safety charity Brake.

Julie Townsend, campaigns director, said: 'Every day more families suffer the agony of a bereavement or serious injury at the hands of drunk or drugged drivers. It’s essential the Government acts to stop this carnage – and irresponsible to delay. Research, along with evidence from other countries, indicates that lowering our drink drive limit and dramatically stepping up enforcement would be effective in preventing casualties on our roads – and there appears to be widespread public support for these measures. We’re urging the Government to be bold, and act now to stamp out the menace of drink and drug driving.'