THE number of people killed in drink-drive crashes rose last year to the highest level for seven years, prompting road safety groups to demand a reduction in the alcohol limit.

A total of 560 people died, ten more than the previous year and 100 more than in 1999, since when the death rate has been steadily climbing.

The number of breath tests fell to the lowest level for ten years, raising concerns that people were more likely to risk drink-driving.

Only 570,000 roadside tests were carried out in 2003 compared with 815,000 in 1998, according to the Department for Transport’s (DfT) annual report on road casualties.

While 3 per cent of men involved in collisions were found to be over the limit, the rate for women was 1 per cent.

The risk of being hit by a drink-driver rose sharply in the weeks leading up to Christmas, when there were a third more crashes than in the rest of the year. In 2002, the Government abandoned plans announced in 1998 to reduce the limit from 80mg of alcohol per 100ml of blood to 50mg.

The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) said the increase in deaths could have been prevented had the Government joined most other European countries in cutting the drink-drive limit.

Most other European countries have adopted a 50mg limit, which research has shown to be the level at which a driver’s judgment begins to be significantly impaired.

RoSPA said the lower limit could save 50 lives and 250 serious injuries a year. Kevin Clinton, RoSPA’s head of road safety, said: “All the evidence points to the road safety benefits of reducing the limit. We believe there would be wide public support and are frustrated that the Government continues to oppose a measure which would save lives.

“Drink-drive deaths are on the increase again and something has to be done before things get even worse.”

RoSPA also called for police to be given wider powers, such as the right to carry out random tests. At present officers can stop a driver only if he commits a traffic offence or they suspect that he is over the limit.

Mr Clinton said: “It would be a far greater deterrent if police were able to set up random checks, say outside a golf club at chucking-out time.”

The Parliamentary Advisory Council for Transport Safety is also lobbying for roadside tests to be deemed sufficient evidence for a prosecution.

At present, police have to take a person who fails a breath test to a station for further tests. This can take up to an hour and the council believes that it may be putting police off from carrying out more tests.

One in 67 drivers was breath-tested in Britain in 2000. In the Netherlands it was one in twenty. In that year, 14 per cent of all British road deaths involved a driver over the limit, compared with only 8 per cent in the Netherlands.

The number of traffic police has fallen by 11 per cent since 1996, because officers have been diverted to other duties.

A DfT spokeswoman said: “We are not convinced that lowering the limit is the answer. There is a danger that doing so would dilute the message not to drink at all if you drive. It could suggest a certain amount of alcohol was acceptable.”

In Britain drivers breaching the 80mg limit face a minimum 12-month ban, whereas those caught breaching the 50mg in other European countries might be fined.

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