Parents of death crash brothers call for lower drink-drive limit » Communities » 24dash.com

The family of two boys killed by ex-Plymouth Argyle goalkeeper Luke McCormick in a crash on the M6 called on the government today to lower the legal blood alcohol limit for drivers.

Tougher penalties for speeding motorists and drink-drivers will be proposed by ministers today, but Phil and Amanda Peak said the measures should have been brought in earlier.

Their sons, 10-year-old Arron and Ben, eight, were killed when McCormick's Range Rover hit their people carrier on the motorway near Stoke-on-Trent in June.

McCormick is serving a seven-year sentence after admitting causing death by dangerous driving and drink-driving.

Drivers who break the speed limit by a large margin could be given six penalty points, a government consultation is expected to suggest, meaning they would be banned after two offences.

Other measures will target drink drivers and those who put lives at risk by getting behind the wheel under the influence of other drugs.

Mrs Peak told BBC Breakfast she feared other families could suffer the same ordeal endured by her own.

"It's Christmas coming up and you know all those people are going to go going out, get drunk, get in their car the next morning and not think of the consequences they are going to cause."

She urged the UK to come into line with countries such as Sweden and Poland, which have an extremely low legal blood-alcohol limit.

"Why didn't they do this at the beginning of the year or last year, when they said they were going to do it?," she said.

"The Government are saying we're the same as the rest of the EU, but the alcohol limit in Great Britain is too high."

Provisional Government figures showed this month that the number of people killed on the roads in spring this year fell by 20% compared with the same period in 2007.

There were 580 fatalities in April-June 2008 compared with 721 in the same three months last year, the statistics showed.

But Road Safety Minister Jim Fitzpatrick believes more can be done to cut the numbers further and will outline the proposals in a written statement to the House of Commons.

They will be the subject of a three-month consultation.

One proposal is to give more penalty points to drivers who break the speed limit by a large margin - 20mph or more - with motorists potentially banned for two offences.

Mr Peak, who was severely injured in the crash that killed his sons, and is still recovering from spinal injuries, said this proposal did not go far enough.

"If you're going 20mph over the limit the first time, the second time there could be a serious accident," he said.

"The first time when you go over it, that's when you should be sentenced - there should be a ban from the first time, because they could put people through what we're going through."

The couple said they hoped McCormick would help them in their campaign to toughen up Britain's driving laws.

"We've not seen any remorse or anything from Luke," Mrs Peak said.

"The best way for him to do that in my eyes is if he backs us in our campaigns and says 'this has ruined my life, I'm doing a prison sentence.'"

Mr Fitzpatrick said that the law may need to change so that drivers who take illegal drugs could be prosecuted.

"There is no legislation in place like drink-driving where we could clearly, easily prosecute anybody who does have illegal drugs in the system which is impairing their ability to drive," he told the BBC Radio 4 Today programme.

He said the Government was also looking to take action against people who get behind the wheel while taking medicines which affect their driving.

"Even some prescription drugs, if they are not taken with care and people drive when the medical advice says you shouldn't be driving with these drugs - people need to be aware of the fact that they could be exposing themselves to sanctions under the law," he said.

The minister said the Government would also be consulting on whether the legal alcohol limit for driving should be lowered.

"On the basis that we do have drink-drive laws, we will be consulting on whether these are appropriate, whether the limits are at the right level," he said.

AA president Edmund King said: "We welcome moves to combat the menace of drug-driving. This is the big killer that is not well reflected in official statistics. Many police officers have told us drug-driving could be as big a problem as drink driving.

"While welcoming the principle of harsher sentences for more extreme speeding there must be safeguards. Speed limits must be appropriate and well signed. We don't want someone losing their licence because tree branches obscured the signs.

"Three quarters of AA members would welcome a reduction in the drink drive limit."

Transport minister Jim Fitzpatrick told BBC Breakfast there would be a "very serious discussion" about whether to lower the drink-drive limit during the consultation on the new proposals.

He said: "There will be suggestions to lower (the limit) and we will be looking at that during the course of the consultation. This is the starting point for action."

Mr Fitzpatrick also questioned whether drivers who go just over the speed limit should receive the same punishment as those who grossly break it.

Of the new consultation, he said: "This is bearing down on the reckless few who are injuring people on our roads as well as themselves, and saying that society is not prepared to put up with their behaviour."