LOWER drink limits for young drivers have been dismissed as impractical. ‘I think it’s unworkable,’ said deputy Home minister Francis Quin.

‘I think we have got it about right – everyone knows what the law is.’

A recent report that might shape the direction of Britain’s alcohol strategy suggested that the limit for young motorists should be the equivalent of half-a-pint of beer.

The Institute of Alcohol Studies calls for a limit of 20mg of alcohol per 100ml of blood for under-21s and 50mg for everyone else.

The current drink-drive limit in the UK and Guernsey is 80mg.

Deputy Quin considered it regrettable that some motorists were still ignoring the well-publicised dangers of drink-driving.

‘The Christmas drink-driving campaign was successful,’ he said.

The report’s author, Ban Baumberg, believes that when confronted by a situation that puts both them and other road users at risk, the last thing inexperienced motorists need was alcohol-impaired judgement and reflexes.

Some American states have put extra restrictions on young and inexperienced drivers and found them to be highly effective in reducing the number of motor vehicle fatalities, particularly among the youngest drivers.

It is believed that the Baumberg report will be used by the European Commission to formulate its alcohol strategy, to be published shortly.

It comes just weeks after experts issued the latest warning that Britain was facing a health time-bomb as binge-drinking increased. Deputy Quin believed the report had been discussed by the island’s drug and alcohol strategy group and had been discounted.