About | HeinOnline Law Journal Library | HeinOnline Law Journal Library | HeinOnline
LOG IN
LOG IN

8 Med. Sci. & L. 1 (1968)

handle is hein.journals/mdsclw8 and id is 1 raw text is: MEDICINE SCIENCE and the LAW Vol. 8 January 1968 No. i EDITORIAL THE Road Safety Act 1967 came into force on October 9, 1967. and published figures of road injuries and deaths have since then shown a marked decrease. To this, great publicity has been given, which clearly indicates the general policy of the Minister of Transport. Those who have been associated with the problems of road accidents and drink- ing fully agree with the principles of administration of the new law. It has been clear for a long time that if legislation had to be applied, then a fixed amount of alcohol in the blood, above which it is an offence to drive or be in charge of a car, is the only satisfactory scientific method to prove the offence. The latest statistical information of the results of the new law must indicate that the reduction in accidents is due to the fact that people are drinking less, driving less, or are doing both less. Certain other matters must, however, be seriously considered in relation to these figures for the public to benefit from the large financial expenditure involved. First, whether the policy is to be generally directed to reduction in alcoholic consumption and, if so. where the loss of revenue so produced will be made up. Secondly, whether some form of social effort to combat alcoholism should be combined with the penalties for the offence, and, thirdly, whether there may come a time when it would be proper for some indication to be given as to the minimum quantity and conditions of alcoholic intake which will produce a figure of 80 mg. per cent. of alcohol in the blood. Intensive propaganda will always have an immediate impact, but this is usually found to slacken off after a time; in such an event the rate of slackening may well be reduced by explaining the exact position to those capable of appreciating it. Nobody can possibly support those who attempt to defeat the objects of the legislation by advocating special food or worse still pills to beat the breathalyser. Nor can any scientific basis be found for the sale of breathalysers to the public for a person to check whether he is safe to drive. Apart from the fact that the amount of alcohol in the breath may well increase in a few minutes if absorption is still taking place, and hence the test gives false confidence, it is a complete contradiction of the facts to talk I M.S.L.-l

What Is HeinOnline?

HeinOnline is a subscription-based resource containing thousands of academic and legal journals from inception; complete coverage of government documents such as U.S. Statutes at Large, U.S. Code, Federal Register, Code of Federal Regulations, U.S. Reports, and much more. Documents are image-based, fully searchable PDFs with the authority of print combined with the accessibility of a user-friendly and powerful database. For more information, request a quote or trial for your organization below.



Short-term subscription options include 24 hours, 48 hours, or 1 week to HeinOnline.

Purchase Access

Contact us for annual subscription options:

Contact Us

Already a HeinOnline Subscriber?

Log In

profiles profiles most