Motorists could face lifetime driving bans for drunk offences following a tragic incident which claimed the life of a young man, under new proposals put forward by one campaigner.
The tougher calls come after Aidan Webb was killed in 2022 when the car he was a passenger in crashed into a tree after the driver was 1.5 times over the legal limit.
The incident has sparked calls for stricter laws to combat drunk driving with the parents of the victim campaigning for "Aidan's Law", which would impose lifetime driving bans on those convicted of causing fatal crashes while over the legal limit.
Under UK law, drivers must not travel with a “breath alcohol level higher than 22 microgrammes/100 millilitres of breath or a blood alcohol level of more than 50 milligrammes/100 millilitres of blood”.
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Nearly one-fifth of all fatalities on UK roads in 2022 were related to drink-drivingPA The calls come in the form of a recent petition which has already gained hundreds of signatures. The petition urged the Department for Transport to take action to help prevent future cases from occurring.
In response to the petition, one person shared: “Whole life disqualifications should apply in cases like yours. And not just due to drinking and driving. Talking on your mobile, speeding, overtaking on the wrong side, tailgating, if it leads to death the driver should never drive again and the maximum of 14 years should now be a minimum.”
The scale of the drink-driving problem in the UK is alarming. In 2022, 300 people lost their lives in crashes involving drivers over the legal alcohol limit. A further 6,500 were injured in similar incidents.
The current laws appear insufficient to address this grave issue. Aidan's parents stated: "A driver that drinks and drives, is one trip away from potentially becoming a killer."
Penalties for drink-driving offences can be severe. Those found guilty face driving bans, fines, or even imprisonment. The maximum sentence for driving or attempting to drive while over the limit is an unlimited fine and/or six months in custody.
Offenders also lose their licence for at least 12 months. If found in a vehicle while over the limit, the maximum penalty is a £2,500 fine and/or three months in custody. Drivers may also lose their licence or receive 10 penalty points.
Writing in the petition, the parents saidhaving a tougher stance is proportionate to the harm caused by “such reckless actions”.
Commenting under the petition, one signatory posted: "If you take a life from a person who is lawful. By doing something that you know is unlawful. You should be made to relinquish your driving licence for the rest of your sad sorry life.”
According to Brake UK, if a driver kills someone while under the influence of alcohol, they can be charged under Section 3A of the Road Traffic Act 1988 which carries a maximum penalty of life imprisonment and an unlimited fine.
In many countries, the police have the power to stop and breathalyse drivers at random, with no need to suspect the driver is under the influence, although police in the UK are not able to do this.
The charity said that random testing has been found to be highly effective in reducing drink-drive casualties.
Data from the group also found that drivers are six times more likely to be involved in a fatal crash, if they have between 50 and 80mg of alcohol per 100ml blood, compared to 0ml and three times more likely to die on the roads.
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Drivers can be charged under Section 3A of the Road Traffic Act 1988
GETTYOver the summer, the British Medical Association called on the Government to introduce new laws that would lower drink-driving limits to help crackdown on the number of road traffic accidents which have been caused by alcohol.
