‘It’s not going to do us any favours’: Rural pubs fear stricter drink-drive limit will impact business

Rural pubs fear plans to tighten the drink-drive limit in England and Wales will impact alcohol sales and business.

Pubgoers who want to drive essentially won’t be able to drink any alcohol under proposals announced as part of a new road safety strategy.

The government aims to reduce deaths and serious injuries on Britain’s roads by 65 per cent by 2035, and by 70 per cent for children under 16.

The drink-drive limit in England, Wales and Northern Ireland is currently 35 micrograms of alcohol per 100ml of breath, which is the highest in Europe alongside Malta. But this could be reduced to 22 micrograms in England and Wales, bringing those nations into line with Scotland, which cut its drink-drive limit in 2014. After this change, just one drink could put someone over the limit.

While pub owners agree roads should be as safe as possible, many are concerned that without reliable public transport, those in remote locations will simply see fewer customers.

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“In an industry that’s already suffering, it’s not going to do us any favours,” said Nikki Stepney, deputy manager at Devil’s Dyke, a pub located on the South Downs just outside Brighton.

“It would definitely impact us because we’re right on top of the South Downs, so there is only public transport in the summer,” she told The Independent.

“We would literally just rely on walkers and obviously people do drive up, but rather than being able to have two drinks and a meal, for instance, now it will change that. People’s eating and drinking habits will change.”

Already, she has seen a shift to punters drinking low and zero-alternative drinks, and she predicts this will only increase.

Marius Pretorius, the owner of Dew Drop Inn in Hurley, Berkshire, said the Labour government has been making decisions that are “against everything that public houses and pubs stand for”.

Although he would like to see safer roads, the pub owner believes the new drink-drive limit would see people order less alcohol and more alcohol-free beer. He is also sceptical that the law will be enforced.

“I think it will probably impact business, we get a lot of people who carpool over. If there’s a table of four, one of them won’t drink at all, or they’ll have a small glass of wine and then a couple of hours later they’ll leave,” he told The Independent.

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Mr Pretorius said he has already seen drinkers’ habits change with alcohol-free beers becoming more popular.

“We’ve seen quite an increase in the sales of alcohol-free items in the last 18 months, not just in January when everyone’s doing it, but in general,” he added.

The drink-drive limit changed for Scotland more than 10 years ago in 2014, and while many small pubs survived, owners say there was a “change in culture”.

“The culture up in Scotland has changed quite a bit to the point where small pubs can’t survive and need to become restaurants,” said Tom Jones, a bar worker at The Red Lion Inn near Dunfermline on the east coast of Scotland.

“We still get local drinkers in, ones who walk here, but we don’t get outsiders. But if a village supports its pub, it should stay open.”

The British Beer and Pub Association (BBPA) urged the government to ensure its new road safety plans are “proportionate and evidence-based” to avoid an impact on struggling pubs.

A spokesperson insisted the pub sector is “committed to actively promoting responsible drinking through its investment in no and low beer and support of drink-drive campaigns”, and pointed to a decline in alcohol-related driving accidents in recent government data.

It also warned that the pub sector “continues to face huge challenges”, adding: “So any additional policy measures that further impact trade will be of real concern to licensees, especially those in rural areas.”

“We would also urge the government to review how public transport, especially in rural areas, can better support the high street and local tourism.”

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Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) is also worried that rural pubs will lose business.

“Of course we want our roads to be as safe as possible, but ministers must consider the impact of this change on top of big tax hikes already announced for pubs,” said chief executive Tom Stainer.

“We also want authorities that provide public transport, like combined authorities, to have a duty in law to run evening and late-night services so people can get to and from the pub, including in rural areas.”

But Dr Katherine Severi, chief executive of the Institute of Alcohol Studies, said claims that the drink-drive limit will harm pubs is “not supported by the evidence”.

“Rural roads are among the most dangerous in the country, accounting for well over half of fatal collisions, and protecting rural communities means reducing risk, not turning a blind eye to it,” she said.

“Today’s pubs are already adapting to changing habits, with more alcohol-free options and designated drivers more common.”

Transport minister Lilian Greenwood said: “There were 260 people killed by drink-drivers last year and every single one of those deaths is preventable. I have sat down with the families of victims and they are demanding action.

“Our drink-drive limit is out of step with Scotland and Europe. Nobody wants to stop people from going out to the pub, but we are saying leave the car at home. There has also been a proliferation of low-alcohol products. So leave the car at home or have a designated driver.

“ We know every one of the deaths that has happened is preventable. We are not setting the limit at zero, but don’t go out drinking and driving.”