Will alcolocks be the answer to stop drink driving?
The UK Government have been advised to roll out the implementation of alcolocks to cars to prevent the number of drink-drive incidents.
A report produced by PACTS (The Parliamentary Advisory Council for Transport Safety) has highlighted that the alcolocks will have a positive impact on road safety.
What are alcolocks?
An alcolock is a system that is installed in your car that requires the driver to blow into a breath-tester. This is connected to the ignition system and if you are over the limit the car will be prevented to start.
Since 2010, there have been around 240 deaths a year in Great Britain involving a driver over the legal drink driving limit and in contrast to the previous decade, no progress has been made in reducing these numbers.
In recent research by IAM RoadSmart, 90 per cent of motorists support all new cars having built-in technology that immobilises the vehicle if the driver is over the limit.
From 2022 all new cars sold in Europe will be ‘alcolock enabled’ but it is up to the Government to decide how they will be used. IAM RoadSmart has previously stated they will be a useful tool to get drink drive offenders back to safer driving after a ban.
Neil Greig, IAM RoadSmart Director of Policy and Research said: “The evidence is clear. Nearly all motorists want new cars fitted with alcolocks to help stop the daily carnage on UK roads from drink driving and this latest PACTS report is even further endorsement.”
Click here to read the full findings of the PACTS ‘Locking out the drink driver – using alcohol interlocks to reduce drink driving in the UK