Europe: Alcohol limits for young drivers must be lowered

Ben Baumberg, policy and research officer at the Institute of Alcohol Studies, said the amount drunk by young people means they often pose a greater danger than adults. "Given that young people are binge drinking more than adults, any detrimental impact on their ability to react will have greater consequences," he said.

He called for a limit of 20mg of alcohol per 100ml of blood for young people and 50mg for everyone else. The current UK limit is 80mg. With 50mg roughly equating to a pint of beer, young drivers could be over the limit on half a pint.

Baumberg also recommended an end to alcohol education in schools unless it was part of a wider programme and tighter restrictions on alcohol advertising so companies had to stick to messages about the quality of their products.