Scotland to cut drink drive limit making it illegal to get behind the wheel after a half pint of beer

• Limit will be lowered from 80mg of alcohol per 100ml of blood to 50mg
• Scots drink on average 20 per cent more than people in the rest of the UK
• The move is also being seen as part of Scotland's separatist agenda

Scotland is to dramatically cut the drink drive limit making it illegal to get behind the wheel of a car after drinking a half pint of beer.
Ministers are expected to announce later today plans to lower the limit from 80mg of alcohol per 100ml of blood to 50mg bringing Scotland into line with mainland Europe.
Scots have an appalling record with alcohol, drinking on average 20 per cent more than people in the rest of the UK.

Scotland is to cut the drink drive limit making it illegal to drive after drinking a half pint of beer

Holyrood has already announced plans to introduce a minimum price for alcohol in a bid to tackle the problem of binge drinking.
However the move to cut the drink drive limit is also being seen as part of Scotland's separatist agenda as it seeks to distance itself from England.
The power to change the drink drive laws was transferred to Holyrood earlier this year as part of the Scotland Act.
Proposals to lower the limit were announced by Scottish Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill earlier this year. A public consultation will be launched today.
The move was cautiously welcomed by road safety campaigners, as a zero-tolerance approach is their ultimate aim.
Sarah Fatica, general manager at road safety charity Brake, said: 'Whilst 50mg is a step in the right direction, what we really need to see is a strong message from our governments in Scotland and Westminster to say that not a drop is acceptable if you are behind the wheel.

The power to change the drink drive laws was transferred to Holyrood earlier this year as part of the Scotland Act

'Far too many lives are lost on UK roads annually because of drink drivers.
'If we could have a zero-tolerance approach to drink driving, lives would obviously be saved.'
Mr MacAskill will be joined outside Holyrood by Deputy Chief Constable Tom Ewing, secretary of road policing for the Association of Chief Police Officers in Scotland, for the consultation launch.
Commenting at the time that he announced the proposals, Mr MacAskill said: 'The Scottish Government has long called for a reduction in the drink-driving limit to 50mg.
We strongly believe that reducing the drink-driving limit will save lives, and evidence from across Europe shows that alcohol-related road deaths drop dramatically where the limit has been reduced.
'Having secured the powers to take this forward through the Scotland Bill, the Scottish Government, as a priority, will bring forward proposals later this year, with a view to the change taking effect as soon as possible.'