MANX motorists have shown so much interest in the debate on alcohol levels for R plate drivers that the deadline has been extended for the public to make comments on the new proposals.
The Department of Infrastructure has announced today that it is prepared to accept comments up to midnight tomorrow (Tuesday) on the proposals to restrict the permitted alcohol consumption figure to 50mg for R plate drivers, compared to the standard 80mg level for fully qualified drivers.
Minister Phil Gawne said that “the volume of interest in R plate matters” had made him extend the deadline which was originally set for Friday afternoon.
However, many motorists believe that R plate drivers should not be allowed to drink at all before driving and the suggested two tier system has reopened the debate on whether the Isle of Man should adopt much stricter regulations which operate throughout most of Europe where it is illegal to have any alcohol before driving a vehicle.
R plate drivers are not amongst the favourites on Manx roads. Some R plate drivers do themselves no favours, with many guilty of driving too fast in powerful cars. Drivers who travel in to work from the north over the Mountain Road each day will testify to the poor - and occasionally dangerous - standards of driving by some R plate drivers.
It has also been suggested in the past that newly qualified drivers are given additional lessons in how to handle a vehicle at higher speeds as learner drivers have very little, and often no experience of driving a car above 40 mph.
Current regulations dictate that a fully qualified driver in the Isle of Man can consume sufficient alcohol provided their blood/alcohol level is below 80 mgs per 100mls of blood. It is widely regarded that this allows a driver to consume a maximum of one and a half pints of normal strength beer or three single measures of spirits, but these are not officially recognised statistics.
However, it is also acknowledged that there is a difference between men and women in how alcohol is absorbed by the body and that drink affects people in different ways. Therefore, many people have been advocating the introduction of European style regulations which take away all doubt over whether a driver is fit to drive or not by seeking a total ban on driving and drinking.
The debate on excessive drinking by younger people has been in the media for some time. In May last year the Department of Home Affairs announced a series of new measures to implement a Code of Practice on the display and sale of alcohol products in retail premises, including supermarkets and off-licences.
These were accepted across the retail sector to restrict the display of alcohol to one single main area in retail premises other than those satellite areas approved by the licensing court. The code also prescribed the positioning of signs, removing of advertisements, removing bulk sales from outside main alcohol retail areas and providing health leaflets.
In addition, the retail trade also assisted during 2009 with an initiative with Challenge 25 raising the proof of identity requirement to 25 years for anyone purchasing alcohol from local off licences.
