Drink-driving rules

I have written to the Times of Malta but reading the article of Jean Karl Soler, ’Call for a new leadership election’ (January 25) made the difference.

He says that, in 2017, only 11 drivers were found to have too much alcohol in the blood out of 1,832 stopped during the festive period. In 2018, this number was down to only three out of nearly 1,000. This is a joke.

All the statistics from different countries show that, easily, five per cent of all drivers stopped are found to have too much alcohol in the blood, meaning about 100 not 11, quite a huge difference.

It seems Malta has the most stupid law when it comes to drink-driving in that a police officer can only ask for a breath test if there is reasonable suspicion. No wonder the numbers remain very low. A police officer on the road can never be the professional to judge the condition of a motorist.

I come from the Nordic countries where the limit stands at 0.02-0.05 per cent, compared to 0.08 in Malta. This already makes a big difference. Malta is actually allowing a driver to be drunk on the road.

But the biggest difference is that, in Nordic countries, every driver stopped is tested and there are no exceptions. Whether you...