The Lock Out Drink-Driving Campaign has called on the Labour Party government to mandate alcohol locks in vehicles, aiming to lock drivers out of their cars as part of a new crackdown on drink-driving.
The campaign urges the introduction of in-car alcohol interlock devices, known as alcolocks, for repeat drink-driving offenders. It is supported by organisations including the RAC, Brake, and RoSPA.
Immediate Impact on High-Risk Offenders
Simon Williams, head of policy at the RAC, said the devices can have an immediate impact on high-risk and repeat offenders. He added: We have seen the evidence from programmes around the world, and we know the public support is there; all that is left is for the Government to act now.
Cross-Sector Support
A spokesperson for the Lock Out Drink-Driving Campaign said: This letter represents cross-sector support for the Government to commit to the introduction of a court-ordered alcolock programme for repeat drink-drivers. The system we see today is simply not an effective deterrent. The current penalties are not working, and offenders are repeatedly putting not only their lives but also others at risk.
Williams said: Too many lives are lost and ruined by drink-driving. It is also very apparent that many of the drink-drivers caught by the police are reoffenders which implies something different needs to be done to change this dangerous behaviour.
Drivers have told us they believe that alcohol-interlocks – either just for repeat drink-drivers or for everyone convicted of the offence – could be a good way of reducing drink-drive collisions and the resulting deaths and injuries which are currently far too high.
We are aware that their use may be seen as a soft option by some, but experience from other countries suggests the opposite. Simply banning habitual drink-drivers does not seem to be the answer even though they face a prison sentence, as all too often they just get behind the wheel again anyway.
Currently the only options for courts are disqualification from driving, ordering convicted drink-drivers to attend rehabilitation courses and custodial sentences for reoffenders. Court orders that mandate alcohol-interlocks to prevent reoffending could be worth exploring in a trial. We hope the Government considers this in the forthcoming road safety strategy being produced by the Department for Transport.
