The Lock Out Drink-Driving Campaign and a coalition of road safety organisations have written to the transport secretary, Heidi Alexander MP, urging the Government to introduce mandatory alcohol ignition interlock technology for repeat and high-risk drink-drive offenders.
The open letter, signed by organisations including Road Safety GB, the RAC, Brake, the Road Victims Trust and RoSPA, calls on the Government to act on its commitment to consider alcohol interlock devices, otherwise known as “alcolocks”, at the earliest possible opportunity.
Alcolocks prevent a vehicle from starting if alcohol is detected on the driver’s breath.
Offender programmes are already in place across New Zealand, Canada, most European countries and all US states, with substantial evidence demonstrating reductions in reoffending of up to 70%. Recent RAC polling found that 82% of drivers would back the introduction of the measure in the UK.
The letter follows on from a parliamentary roundtable held in February, sponsored by Sam Carling MP, which brought together the Lock Out Drink-Driving Campaign, leading road safety charities, policing representatives, and parliamentarians to build consensus around the introduction of alcolocks to tackle repeat drink-driving.
With drink-drive reoffending rates remaining stubbornly high, the open letter urges the Government to introduce court-ordered alcolock programmes for repeat offenders as a part of the Road Safety Strategy.
RAC analysis of DVLA data has shown that more than 27,000 individuals were convicted of drink-driving multiple times in the eleven years leading up to July 2024, highlighting the scale of the issue. International research indicates that up to 75% of disqualified drink-drivers continue to drive illegally.
The latest government figures from 2023 have also shown that deaths and serious injuries caused by drink-driving remain high, with over 1,500 seriously injured and an estimated 260 people killed in collisions involving a driver over the legal alcohol limit.
Simon Williams, head of policy at RAC, said: “The RAC has long called for measures to tackle the staggering number of repeat drink-driving offences the UK sees year on year. Alcolocks represent one of the most effective tools available to the Government, which is readily available and can have an immediate impact on high-risk and repeat offenders.
“We have seen the evidence from programmes around the world, and we know the public support is there, all that is left is for the Government is to act now.”
Lock Out Drink-Driving Campaign spokesperson, said: “This letter represents cross-sector support for the Government to commit to the introduction of a court-ordered alcolock programme for repeat drink-drivers.
“The system we see today is simply not an effective deterrent. The current penalties are not working, and offenders are repeatedly putting not only their lives but also others at risk. We need to do more so that lives are not needlessly lost. We sincerely urge the Government to utilise this once-in-a-generation opportunity to lock out drink driving for good.”
The Lock Out Drink-Driving Campaign is calling on the Government to introduce a mandatory alcolock programme for high-risk and repeat drink-drive offenders as an immediate priority within the Road Safety Strategy, with a medium to long-term pathway towards broader offender coverage.
The Government’s Road Safety Strategy sets a target of a 65% reduction in the number of people killed or seriously injured on roads in Great Britain by 2035, using a 2022–2024 baseline. The Government’s consultation on the Road Safety Strategy, which includes proposed measures on alcohol interlock technology, closes on 11 May 2026.
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