Police Urge PM to Mandate Alcolocks for Repeat Drink-drivers

Senior police officers and road safety campaigners have written to Prime Minister Andy Burnham urging him to introduce mandatory alcolocks for motorists who repeatedly drink-drive. Alcolocks are alcohol interlock safety devices that stop a vehicle from starting or being driven until the motorist successfully passes a breath test. In an open letter sent to Mr Burnham, groups including the National Police Chiefs' Council, the RAC and Road Safety Great Britain urged the Government to institute a compulsory system for "high-risk and repeat drink-driving offenders".

The letter reads: "International evidence shows alcolocks can reduce reoffending by up to 70%, and RAC polling found that 82% of UK drivers support their introduction. Yet courts in the UK still cannot require convicted drink-drivers to use one. The letter continues: "As mayor of Greater Manchester, you backed Vision Zero and the ambition that nobody should be killed or suffer life-changing injuries on the roads, saying 'more needs to be done' to make roads safer.

We agree that ambition is right for Greater Manchester, and we hope you agree that it is right for the whole country. Road safety charity Brake, the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents, and the Road Safety Foundation are among the other signatories. It follows an announcement by the Department for Transport (DfT) last month that it would not mandate new cars to include technology facilitating the installation of alcolocks, as part of a review into mandatory safety features.

Replying to a consultation on the issue, the department noted that many respondents felt placing an interlock obligation on vehicle manufacturers would be "disproportionate" ahead of broader policy choices on the equipment. The issue will remain under review, officials added. Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency statistics indicated that 27,837 British motorists were convicted of drink-driving multiple times in the 11 years to July 20 2024. Latest DfT figures suggest an estimated 260 people were killed in crashes on Britain's roads involving at least one driver over the legal alcohol limit in 2023. Approximately 1,600 people were seriously injured.

RAC head of policy, Simon Williams, said: "Drink-driving remains one of the most preventable causes of death and serious injury on our roads. Alcolocks physically stop someone from driving after drinking, and there is strong public support for repeat or high-risk offenders having to have them fitted to their vehicles before being allowed to drive again. Several countries such as Australia, Belgium, Canada, the Netherlands and the US mandate the use of interlocks during sentencing of some drink-drive offenders.

This does not happen in the UK, where people caught drink-driving lose their licence for at least 12 months, although offenders may be offered a reduced ban if they complete a rehabilitation course. They also face a fine and possible imprisonment. A DfT spokesperson said: "Driving under the influence of alcohol puts everyone at risk, and every drink-drive collision represents a preventable tragedy.

Through our new road safety strategy, we've consulted on lower alcohol limits and tougher measures, including immediately suspending drink-drivers while they await their court date and harsher sentences. While we're not mandating the use of alcohol interlocks, we have consulted on their potential use to help prevent repeat drink-driving offences.