Teen drivers "should face zero drink limits"

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Teenage motorists are most likely to take risks and be involved in road accidents because of their inexperience, Liam Donaldson added.

The risks could be reduced for 17 to 20-year-olds if alcohol was taken out of the equation.

"We know that even without alcohol, young people are more likely to have an accident because they are inexperienced drivers and even with them driving within the alcohol limit, they are much more likely to have an accident than an older driver within the alcohol limit," he told BBC television.

"Young people have enough difficulty when they first start driving with their inexperience, learning the skills on the road - they don't need the complication of drink as well."

The legal blood-alcohol limit for drivers aged between 17 and 20 should be reduced to zero, he said.

Currently, the limit for all drivers is 80 mg of alcohol per 100 ml of blood.

Donaldson acknowledged there could be some technical problems, such as if someone had eaten food or used a mouthwash containing alcohol, but added these issues had been overcome where similar measures have been introduced.

"I feel that this measure is about saving lives as well as harm to teenagers and also those who they might affect if they are driving a car when they are drunk, and I believe that this would be a sensible public health measure," he said.

The RAC motoring organisation said a two-tier system could further complicate drink driving limits, which some people already find confusing.

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