A study by the institute of Civil Engineers ( ICE ) has revealed that British motorists dislike for being charged with a road tax means they would prefer to use a pay-per-mile system where a driver makes a payment dependant upon how much they use their car.

Over 85% of the 3000 respondents also said that limiting car usage was an effective tool in tackling the climate change whilst 83% said they would have no qualms about leaving their vehicles at home if there was a dramatic improvement in the public transport system.

Motorists normally pay road tax according to their vehicle’s emissions rate. However there has been no attempt to address the fact that there are a large number of drivers who do not use their cars frequently or travel long distances. Many experts agree that a large reduction in car usage levels can have a significant impact on the climate.
The Chair of ICE said that an increasing number of people are becoming disillusioned with what they perceived to be a wide range of problems associated car use. He also added that there should be some kind of review of the public transport system in order to make it more appealing to potential users.

Kenny MacAskill, the Justice Secretary, has joined forces with the British Medical Association Scotland in order to restate the need for the UK government to reduce the drink driving limit. The government recently announced plans to introduce random breath tests and high tech breathalyser equipment in a bid to reduce the number of inebriated drivers on the road.

Police have said that they are likely to have access to the new equipment which is expected to result in an increase in convictions. Studies have shown that around a quarter of male drivers and 11% of women had chosen to drive after having drank the equivalent of two small glasses of wine.

Under current law, those drivers who have been found to be over the drink drive limit by a few milligrams can request a second test which can take place at the nearest police station. However, many motorists escape conviction because their alcohol levels will have dipped sufficiently by the time they take their second test.

MacAskill said  that he supported the Government’s latest actions which should come into effect from 2009.

However, he wants British drink driving laws which currently allow up to 80mg per 100ml in the bloodstream to be set at 50 mg. Road safety groups insist that the proposed changes could save up to 50 lives per year in the UK