No change in alcohol limit for drivers

The National Road Safety Council has announced that there is to be no change to the alcohol limit for drivers.

The Council's Chairman Dr. Lucien Jones had previously argued that the alcohol limit is too high, against the background of the high number of fatal road crashes,

But Executive Director Paula Fletcher says following review, it was decided that the limit be held as it is in tandem with international standards.

The current blood alcohol limit is .35 micrograms of alcohol to 100 millilitres of breath which is equivalent to .08 micrograms of alcohol in blood.

Blood samples are used if the driver is unable to provide a breath sample.

However Mrs. Fletcher disclosed that holders of provisional or learner's license will have a zero alcohol limit.   

“So we gonna keep the law as it is here now. The only time we will have zero limit, in terms of alcohol use, is when we implement what we have proposed as a graduated licensing programme which says when you get a provisional license, because we are going to introduce an interim step in the licensing process,”

“Once you pass you get an interim license and during that period there are certain restrictions one of them is zero alcohol, so that is the only change you are going to see,” Mrs. Fletcher said.