Why do the Courts in the UK treat drunk drivers who have a drink problem more leniently than those caught out after one too many on a night out?

Edna Burbridge, Engreve, FRance

Why is it that motorists who haven't been drinking who kill on the roads don't receive an automatic disqualification? Failing a breath test is being caught risking an accident.
Why is risking an accident considered to be far more serious than actually having an accident ?

Cliff, Portishead, UK

Footballer Luke McCormick jailed for seven years for killing young brothers

This is a headline from today's Times. For all of you who think that drinking and driving is okay I suggest you read the article and then go home and tell your wives it wouldn't matter if your kids got killed.

Chris Martin, Manchester,

I remember reading somewhere that you could get 60mg from your grannies sherry trifle!
Common sense seems to have entered at last, but there are many other ways to save 65 lives or more.

Bill Glanvill, Horsham, Sussex

How many rural poeple will suffer from depression and worse if deprived of a relaxing social drink at a pub?
What is the effect on the landlords and bar staff when the pubs have to close: depression, unemployment costs, etc?

Gilbert, Cheltenham,

The law does not discriminate between motorists who blatantly drive in a state of total inebriation and conscientious drivers caught out when the residual alcohol level in their blood from a previous night out provides grounds for a criminal conviction.

David Elliott, Brighton, UK

Is alchohol really so important to those people that object.....if so I think they have a real problem...

As for mobiles and texting....yes those with low iqs do......they will only change their ways if the law comes down on them really harshly...and it should.

anna, camberley,

I find it bizarre that people are so obsessed about being able to drink. It is quite simply not necessary. I do drink, but never when driving. Going out is about enjoying the company you keep or the place you go to. If you need to drink to enjoy an evening, what does it say about your friends?!

Ben Adamson, Manchester,

The reason Britain has lost its place at the top of road safety league tables is down to the huge increase of foreign drivers on our roads, both trucks and cars from the EU. We regularly hear reports of such cars crashing because they are driving on the right and trucks side swiping cars.

Dr Nick Ashley, Huntingdon, England

I personally feel the effects of even one drink and therefore have a personal ban on never driving having had a drink.
Others have a higher tolerance than I do and there needs to be a more definite test that someone can take before the personal decision to drive.
A 250 personal password key ?

P Barrett, Plymouth/Valletta, UK/Malta

Nanny state! Police state! Oh I mean... not enough nanny state! Our vulnerable lives are in danger!

Tony, Islington, London, UK

There are many other factors involved in an accident & yet all these quangos, NGO's and Labour are interested is having zero accidents a year. How is that achieved by taking through the motorist off the road through taxation & legislation & onto a unionised public transport system. Labour = anticar

steve tea, manchester, cheshire

There are many GREATER causes of death on roads that deserve more concern. Using mobiles and falling asleep whilst driving kill many more. Also, many drivers - especially the elderly - still drive despite having medical conditions that can cause blackouts/fits. Time to look at retesting at age 70.

Sarah , Battle, UK

I am sure the great legal brains could sit down and tighten the laws in every facet of our lives [ and I think they have done a lot ] but what real freedom would we have left, What would our lives look like, With cams filming us at every turn and more laws than you could shake a stick at..life sucks

Peter, Vancouver.BC, Canada

Good point Martyn: Often I have to politely explain to my passenger that concentrating on what is happening on the road is my priority rather than the distracting conversation we are having. Random testing at an arbitrary road block is a great deterrent here in Finland where 50mg is the limit.

Jonathan, Helsinki, Finland

Once again the crass stupidity of this New Labour Government is breathtaking!
There should be a total ban on drinking and driving that means "No Alcohol" whatsoever if you intend driving!
There is also a need to clamp down on those driving under the influence of illegal drugs

Stephen Holmes, Withington, UK

I dont know where you get the idea of one drink from.! I am sure people who are .08 have had more than one drink! drinking and driving DO NOT go together and it is an irresponsible government that promotes it. There is evidence that proves your drivers are impaired at .08 and even at .05. not good

fiona, victoria, australia

We have a 50mg limit in Australia yet people still drink and drive when many times over the limit.

Nick, Brisbane, Australia

maybe it it would save 65 lives, but how many other things would save 65 lives? maybe we should go back to having people walking in front of cars waving a flag.
your still going to have alchohol in your blood the afternoon after a night out, are you really going to prosecute people for that?

will, grimsby, uk

Zero tolerence here in Poland yet absolute carnage on the roads. It does not work and only catches the innocents who drank the day before.

Mike, Krakow, Poland

So have a graduated scale of drink drive offences, with under 80 *not* resulting in an automatic ban.

Dirk Bruere, Bedford, England

How many accidents are caused by children squabbling at the back of the car? Can somebody at UCL tell us? Then, perhaps, we can ban children in cars, along with mobiles etc.

Martyn, London,