Drivers planning a trip to the pub are being warned not to drive at all if they intend to drink, as the Government prepares sweeping new road safety reforms expected to come into force from 2026. As part of a major new road safety strategy, the first introduced in more than a decade, ministers are considering tightening drink drive limits in England and Wales, alongside a package of tougher enforcement measures aimed at cutting deaths and serious injuries on Britain’s roads.
The current legal breath alcohol limit of 35 micrograms per 100ml, already the highest in Europe alongside Malta, could be reduced to 22 micrograms, bringing England and Wales into line with Scotland, which lowered its limit in 2014. While the threshold would not fall to zero, ministers say the message for motorists is clear. If you plan to drink, do not drive.
Transport minister Lilian Greenwood said the safest option for pub goers was to leave the car at home entirely.
Asked whether drivers should avoid alcohol altogether if they intend to get behind the wheel, she told Sky News: “That’s probably the best advice. If you’re going to drive, don’t have a drink. If you want to have a drink, leave your car at home.”
The new strategy aims to reduce deaths and serious injuries on UK roads by 65 per cent by 2035, with an even more ambitious target of 70 per cent for children under 16.
Last year alone, 260 people were killed in drink-driving-related incidents, a figure Greenwood described as unacceptable.
“I’ve sat down with numerous families over the last 18 months, and they’re asking us to take action,” she said.
Ministers insist the proposals are not about discouraging socialising or harming the pub trade.
Speaking to Times Radio, Greenwood added: “We don’t want to stop people from going to the pub and having a great night out. What we’re just saying is don’t take your car.”
Alongside tougher alcohol limits, the strategy proposes requiring some convicted drink drivers to install alcohol interlock devices, known as alcolocks, which prevent a vehicle from starting unless the driver passes a breath test.
Similar schemes already operate in countries including Australia, Canada, Belgium and the United States.
Other measures under consultation include new powers to suspend licences for drivers suspected of drink or drug driving, mandatory eyesight tests for motorists aged 70 and over, a minimum learning period for new drivers, and stronger action against uninsured vehicles and illegal number plates.
The Department for Transport says 22 European countries have made greater progress than the UK in reducing road deaths.
While fatalities have fallen sharply since the 1970s, improvements have slowed over the past decade. Road deaths dropped from 7,763 in 1972 to 1,850 in 2010 and 1,602 in 2024.