UK government to review potential of alcohol interlocks

The UK will look at the feasibility of adding the use of alcohol interlocks to drink-driver rehabilitation programmes, it has been announced.

The review of the policy measure will focus on how to ensure the technology is “both accessible and reliable” according to a statement on road safety plans published in July, just before the changeover to the new government led by Prime Minister Boris Johnson.

There is already a good range of evidence from several countries that alcohol interlocks cut reoffending rates both during and after participation in a rehabilitation programme.  ETSC published a review of current approaches in a 2016 report in association with the Netherlands Institute for Road Safety Research (SWOV).

One UK police force has been running a voluntary trial of alcohol interlocks since last year.

Data published earlier this year showed that UK drink-driving deaths in 2017 were at their highest since 2009.

ETSC’s founding UK member PACTS has also been asked to carry out a review of current drink-driving policy in the UK as part of the government’s latest proposals.