Road Safety Bill [HL]

I have an amendment in this group: Amendment No. 54. Alcohol is clearly a problem, but so are drugs. My amendment is similar to and based on the existing provision for breath testing for alcohol. I moved a similar amendment during the passage of the Transport Act 2000. I believe that if there were primary legislation in place to provide for saliva testing for alcohol, there would be a greater chance that manufacturers would develop suitable equipment for testing for drugs. As for the blood alcohol limit—the BAC—the Minister has the right approach. Our ethos is that, if you break alcohol laws in the UK, you will be in very serious trouble. Other countries have lower BAC levels, but they also have graduated penalties, which I think sends the wrong signal—that an alcohol level a little over the limit is not a problem. I believe that we should stay where we are and that our current policy strikes the right balance. I am grateful that the Minister has resisted lowering the BAC. However, I should like to see random breath testing for all drivers; I should like to see a trap whereby everyone gets a breath test. I have not had a breath test in 20 years, although I have driven thousands and thousands of miles. Yes, of course I am no risk in terms of alcohol, but I feel that I should have been tested just occasionally. It would make me feel good, because I adhere to the law.