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UK Blocks EU Road Safety Plans

Major road safety measures on drink driving and speed limiters being proposed by the EU have hit a UK roadblock, leaked documents have claimed. The Department for Transport (DfT) has vetoed several proposals in a landmark statement being drawn up by EU ministers, claim documents leaked to the Times.

The blocked passages include measures that the DfT has previously said it supports such as speed limiters and harmonisation of European drink-driving levels. It also watered down language, saying "We do not think it is desirable or necessary to be more specific than this about individual measures".

Britain has led the way in Europe in reducing road deaths for much of the past twenty years. Britain still has the second best road-safety record, beaten only by Sweden, but progress has faltered in recent years and other countries are catching up fast.

"It is extremely disappointing to see the UK weakening the text when this country has always sought to be the leader," said a representative of the parliamentary road safety group.

"It seems hypocritical to try and fetter progress on issues such as speed limiters when the UK has already acknowledged that they have a role to play."

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