| European Transport Safety Council call for | | | | In 2001 the European Union recommended the |
| employee drug testing and employee alcohol | | | | allowable blood alcohol limit for commercial drivers |
| testing for HGV drivers to reduce fatal accidents. | | | | be reduced to 20mg per 100mg of blood. While |
| A report from the European Transport Safety | | | | European states are free to set their own limits, |
| Council (ETSC) has claimed that Commercial | | | | the EU said a 50mg limit should be the highest |
| Vehicle drivers should be subject to specialised | | | | allowable. |
| drink driving enforcement as they are more likely | | | | The UK and Malta are the only countries in the EU |
| to be involved in a collision that results in a death | | | | to still have an 80mg limit. |
| – based on kilometres travelled – than | | | | Among the other recommendations in the ETSC |
| other motorists. | | | | report is that testing for drink driving form part |
| The report called "Drink Driving in Commercial | | | | of every police checkpoint for driver behaviour |
| Transport" identified that even though commercial | | | | and that all collisions dealt with by police lead to a |
| drivers were less likely to drink and drive than | | | | mandatory alcohol test for the drivers. |
| private motorists, the size and weight of lorries, | | | | This recommendation is subtly different to the |
| trucks and buses meant crashes involving such | | | | approach being taken by the Department of |
| vehicles were more likely to result in a fatality. | | | | Transport. |
| Based on these findings, the RTSC have called for | | | | Forensic Resources one of the UK's leading |
| alcohol ignition locks to be installed in the vehicles | | | | employee alcohol testing and employee drug |
| of first-time drink driving offenders found | | | | testing services agrees that the blood alcohol limit |
| significantly over the limit to help reduce the | | | | needs to be reviewed but emphasises the |
| chance of reoffending in the future. | | | | importance of testing HGV drivers on a regular |
| The ETSC cited research collated by the | | | | basis whether the limit changes or not. |
| European Traffic Police Network it found the | | | | Abi Carter Director of Forensic Resources Ltd |
| percentage of all commercial and private vehicles | | | | said "It's important that employers regularly test |
| driving journeys associated with alcohol ranged | | | | for alcohol and drug abuse within the workforce |
| from 0.2 per cent in Norway to 8 per cent in | | | | to assure accidents do not occur. The findings |
| Cyprus. | | | | from the ETSC demonstrate the significant |
| In the UK the ETSC found that for every 200 | | | | effects that a HGV accident can cause compared |
| million miles travelled by HGVs they are involved | | | | to a private driver and if alcohol is the stimulus |
| in three fatal crashes, while buses and coaches | | | | this then testing and screening of employees |
| are involved in four. The equivalent figure for cars | | | | needs to be introduced on a regular basis" |
| is less than two. | | | | If you require further information on blood alcohol |
| According to the Road Collision Facts 2008, | | | | testing, employee alcohol testing, employee drug |
| published by the RSA, 82 commercial and public | | | | testing or employee screening services please |
| service vehicles were involved in a fatal crash | | | | give on of our forensic experts a call on 02920 |
| that year, compared to 234 cars. That year, 279 | | | | 647 043 or visit our website Forensic Resources |
| people were killed on the roads. | | | | Ltd. |