Call To Reduce Blood Alcohol Levels For Drivers Options

[VTR]

http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/11/05/2734495.htm

There are calls to cut the blood alcohol level for drivers to zero in order to reduce the number of fatalities on Australian roads.

Already some states are considering reducing alcohol limits for transport workers and novice drivers.

But Queensland Police Commissioner Bob Atkinson says there should be a national debate on reducing the blood alcohol limit for all drivers to zero.

Australians are known for enjoying a drink - or several - but if talkback on ABC radio is any guide, it seems there is a lot of support for a complete ban on alcohol before driving.

"Two drinks for one person puts them over the limit, two drinks for somebody else doesn't, and people just seem to not be able to get it right, so just let's have zero and then everybody knows where they are," one caller said.

"Zero alcohol should be it; the present level doesn't get rid of the two-pot screamers on the road," said another.

And there were others, but only a couple of people were opposed to the idea - they sent in text messages.

However the man some see as responsible for the statistics on Queensland's roads, Commissioner Atkinson, was more circumspect on ABC Local Radio this morning.

"It's an interesting idea [but] I'm not sure whether the Queensland community is ready for it and I would think that we need to have an evidence base," he said.

Academics researching road safety agree more research is needed. For instance, it is not known how many drivers involved in accidents have a 0.05 blood alcohol reading.

However, the ACT Government is considering a zero blood alcohol limit for professional drivers and New South Wales recently reduced the limit for novice drivers to zero.

Commissioner Atkinson says Queensland should do better when it comes to road safety.

"The best countries in the world in terms of the rate for the road toll and the rate is probably the best measure - that's the number of deaths each year per 100,000 of the population - the best countries in the world are the Scandinavian countries like Denmark, Norway and Sweden, and their rate is about four," he said.

"Queensland's is eight, Victoria is six. I think we can do better."

Scandinavian countries have severe jail penalties for drink drivers and very low alcohol limits on the roads.

Low-level offending

The Australian Medical Association's (AMA) vice-president, Dr Steve Hambleton, says tougher laws on alcohol and driving are overdue.

"The AMA thinks it's high time we had a debate on this issue of blood alcohol and driving," he said.

"We know that the statistics show that even one drink, even low levels of alcohol increase your risk of a fatal crash.

"So between 0.02 and 0.04, which is less than the legal limit, you have a 1.4 times risk of having a single-vehicle fatal crash.

"Between 0.05 and 0.09 that risk is 11 times."

But it seems even among doctors, opinion is divided on this issue.

The victims of car crashes caused by drink drivers are often treated by emergency specialist David Rosengren.

"It's always devastating to see often young, fit, healthy people with their whole life in front of them destroyed," he said.

Dr Rosengren is also the chairman of the Queensland arm of the Australasian College of Emergency Medicine. He says most people involved in alcohol-related driving accidents are significantly over the limit.

"As a general rule, most of these people who are involved in major trauma as a result of alcohol are significantly over the alcohol limit. They're not people who are blowing 0.055 or anything like that," he said.

He says a zero blood alcohol limit is not the solution for these drivers and removing licenses and impounding cars would be more effective.

The ABC has asked the Queensland Government for its position on this electorally sensitive issue, but so far there has been no response.

[91 silvia style]

He says a zero blood alcohol limit is not the solution for these drivers and removing licenses and impounding cars would be more effective.

enough said...

[tom_willie]

total bullshit, 0.05 is safe.

[the_random_hero]

total bullshit, 0.05 is safe.

*safer, but the two drink 'rule' they are arguing against totally doesn't make any sense. You're not limited by the amount you drink, just off your BAC (which is easy enough to test before you drive).

[Stompy]

Bullshit idea to limit all drivers to zero.

Sure people who are driving whilst working, and novice drivers shouldnt be allowed to get behind the wheel whilst under the influence of alcohol, but there are already laws in place against learner and p-plate drivers. and i dont know of any driving based position which allows drivers to be having a drink before getting behind the wheel.

Repeat drink drivers should have there license taken away from them for an extended period of time (at least over 4 years) and not have the chance to get into a position where they can re-offend

as for the rest of the comunity i think its unfair that we shouldnt be allowed to have a low alcohol reading and be able to drive. many people go to a party and have a drink before heading home, and many people have a beer after work before going home. yet i dont see mass carnage around the local at 5pm from people having a beer after work before heading home. If it is that serious an issue that people under the currernt limit are all incapable of driving safetly then maybe look at reducing the limit down a bit lower. But to completly ban it is as i said at the start a load of bullshit.

There are much in my opinion much unsafer driving practices that i see everyday which are more likely to cause accidents and which i rarely if ever see police doing anything serious about. (tailgating, people driving ridiculously slow, people incapable of indicating, people incapable of merging etc)

This post has been edited by Stompy: Nov 6 2009, 01:38 AM

[fusion88]

i will just leave this here

http://www.townsvillebulletin.com.au/TheShameFile.html

[zoobzilla]

I wish p platers had the .05 rule, might give me in incentive to limit my drinking.....

[MoneyPower]

i will just leave this here

http://www.townsvillebulletin.com.au/TheShameFile.html

Its Townsville. There isn't exactly much else to do up there, other than to drink your sorrows away....

[fusion88]

Its Townsville. There isn't exactly much else to do up there, other than to drink your sorrows away....

so true lol

[Desu]

Fuck that. I'm not waiting on my provisionals for three years to then be told at the end that I still can't drink.

[Buddo_007]

i like the 0.5 limit coz i hardly ever have 2 drinks then drive i'll have a lot and leave my car where ever and grab it in the morning but when i wake up in the morning i will still have alcohol in my system and even you know i did the right thing i will get raped coz i did the right thing

making the penalties alot more aggressive will make ppl think and step back when they go 2 grab that first drink if they need to drive

Damo

[Dava]

i will just leave this here

http://www.townsvillebulletin.com.au/TheShameFile.html

This doesn't work. First thing I did was to find the person with the highest BAC and then laughed. (.27 insidently)

Government stands to make a lot of money out of changing this rule because many people will not stop drinking. Also many after work watering holes will suffer from the loss of patrons who cant have a beer or two before going home.

Yet another example of polititians legislating on issues that they have no vested interest in.

[nicknav]

If youre stupid enough to get in a car and drive drunk, then i call that natural selection and the government should bugger off!

[Desu]

If youre stupid enough to get in a car and drive drunk, then i call that natural selection and the government should bugger off!

[the_random_hero]

If youre stupid enough to get in a car and drive drunk, then i call that natural selection and the government should bugger off!

So what, them veering onto the other side of the road and killing two people on their way home from getting takeway is 'natural selection'?
Fuck off you fucking deadshit.

[s13viper]

If youre stupid enough to get in a car and drive drunk, then i call that natural selection and the government should bugger off!

except it will be me, minding my own business riding along that gets killed due to these drunk drivers, not themselves

IMO. it should remain @ 0.05 One drink after work, or driving home the day AFTER a party should not be breaking the law

[dwn4wateva]

so it should be!!!

[bloodzkull]

except it will be me, minding my own business riding along that gets killed due to these drunk drivers, not themselves

IMO. it should remain @ 0.05 One drink after work, or driving home the day AFTER a party should not be breaking the law

this!. i've had enough people almost hit me on the bike who i don't think where drunk.

problem with the day after is how can you prove you haven't had any that day. or in many cases for people (such as myself sometimes) they only top drinking at 4-5am then wanna pick there car up after only a few hours.

hell i'm quite sure at one point most of us have woken up and gone fuck i'm still pissed.

[redbull78]

it is an iffy issue. i wrote myself off on my bike but i was 3 time's + over the limit. i knew what i was doing (sort of) . I got on my bike and went for it, but still I have to see my skidmarks regularly (on the road ) . thank god it was late at night cos i hate to think what could have happened if there were more cars. when i ride my bike now i am scared shitless of all cars, fuck whenever i drive a car now i see the same bullshit happening, but saying that i still like to drive/ride after a couple/few drinks. my attention is fully aware cos i have a 6-month old behind me. i just think the world is full of dodgy driving people and that the death toll won't lessen any if this shit is enforced. it will sheerly be for revenue. just like the rest of the bullshit laws trying to be halfarsed enforced since they came in. my 2 cents anyways, thanks for listening , Laterz

[WattsyLX]

I wouldnt care less if the rule was 0% alcohol content whilst driving.


Takes any of the 'will i be right or not' guessing game out of the equation. Simple rule for all would be Drink anything = no drive. Simple.

[wat'r]

Takes any of the 'will i be right or not' guessing game out of the equation. Simple rule for all would be Drink anything = no drive. Simple.

Not really. Let's say you have a big Saturday night.

What time on Sunday can you drive and be confident that you are on 0% and not 0.01%

10.00am

2.00pm

6.00pm

Or to be 100% safe..... do you wait for Monday.

This new push for 0% BAC is another step towards madness in the new NANNY State that was QLD.

[aljet]

Not really. Let's say you have a big Saturday night.

What time on Sunday can you drive and be confident that you are on 0% and not 0.01%

10.00am

2.00pm

6.00pm

Or to be 100% safe..... do you wait for Monday.

This new push for 0% BAC is another step towards madness in the new NANNY State that was QLD.

That's what I'm doing , I feel ok to drive but my BAC might not be 0.00. The Government need to "act" like they're doing something so activists will get off their back. That's how I see it anyways..