I'VE often heard it said that the best thing to come out of England is the road to Scotland.

I may even have repeated the joke myself, in my non-PC youth.

Well, many folk won't be entertaining such thoughts today, not when Best has traditionally been something enjoyed in a pint glass with their lunch.

Two days after Christmas I'll be driving the M8-A1 to follow the mighty Queen's Park as they see out the old football year in delightful Berwick-upon-Tweed, England.

It's a long-time ritual.

One pint of Best over a leisurely lunch in The Leaping Salmon, followed by a second among the Berwick fans in their friendly Shielfield Park social club, ensures vocal chords are suitably lubricated to sustain a 90-minute barrage as the Spiders royally gub the Wee Rangers (or usually not).

But not this year.

Repeat that ritual on Saturday, December 27, and I will as usual depart Berwick safely complying with the UK drink drive alcohol limit of 80mg in every 100ml of my blood.

But the instant I drive back into Bonnie Scotland I'll be above our new limit of 50mg.

Berwick fans journeying to Hampden may wonder about being over the limit in Scotland, but under the English limit.

Could the courts uphold their ban in Berwick, where they've not broken that law?

Holyrood did seek a new UK-wide limit but No10 says it would have no impact on "high risk offenders."

No, it won't.

Nothing will dissuade some boozers from getting behind the wheel, just as other laws don't deter assorted criminal activity or drivers from using mobile phones.

But it will dissuade countless others ?? and also unfortunately those like me happy to settle for a couple of pints.

I may now invest my drinks money in breathalyser manufacturers.

Some accuse Holyrood of turning Scotland into a totalitarian state, but can you argue with any attempts to tackle our shameful booze culture?

Families of any drink-driving victim call for zero tolerance. So why not?

Well, drivers can consume alcohol without realising it, in some foods, mouthwash and medication.

The RAC say 79% of Scottish motorists support the change, as do road safety campaigners, but I like the Institute of Advanced Motorists' proposal to copy Europe's sliding scale of punishments.

Police this year have caught 3700 drunk drivers, whose collisions on our roads kill on average 20 people-a-year, not to mention the horrific injuries.

They believe the new limit will cut the number of deaths. Let's hope so.

We boast the safest roads in Europe, but did also having its highest drink-drive limit send out the message that it was OK to drink and drive?

So what's changed, when we can still drink under the 50mg limit?

Glasgow University forensic toxicologist Dr Hazel Torrance says one pint or a glass of wine "should" leave you under the new limit, if you wait a few hours before driving. Her advice is to not drink at all.

It takes about an hour to process one unit of alcohol, assuming you can remember how much you've had.

As well as the size and strength of the drink, try factoring in your gender, age, weight, metabolism, medication, stress levels and the amount of food or water consumed.

You'll likely be sober after that.

And do any drivers not yet know you can still be over the limit the morning after a night on the sauce?

Of course, drink is not the only culprit. Drivers who are sober cause many more accidents.

The RAC claim using a handheld mobile slows reaction time even more than at the drink-drive limit or taking cannabis.

And though there are around 200 drug-related deaths on UK roads each year, perpetrators are 50 times less likely to be convicted than drink drivers, according to Government data.

As it happens, Queen's Park are doing well this season ?? second top of League Two, since you ask ?? and I'm not being driven to drink.

Most clubs at our level have social clubs where visiting fans are made welcome, but we're banned from drinking in the stands, even in England.

Scotland's alcohol ban followed the 1980 Scottish Cup Final, when Old Firm fans fought running battles on the Hampden pitch.

There have been regular attempts to lift it, the latest by SFA chief Stewart Regan in a bid to generate income in our failing game.

I've heard the arguments for years, about being able to drink at other sports and concerts, about already boozed up fans who still can't be trusted to behave.

I'd like a tipple with my torture, but I see the ban staying until we have matches where police don??t have to segregate spectators ?? which for too many games on both sides of the border is never.