NSW not lowering drink-driving blood alcohol limit

By Alborz Fallah | April 12th, 2010

As we recently reported, the Queensland government is currently looking into reducing the drink-driving blood alcohol limit from 0.05 to 0.02. A plan which is still in progress. Nonetheless NSW transport minister David Campbell said today that his state has no plans to do the same.

The NRMA recently conducted a survey asking nearly 1000 motorists in NSW & ACT if they supported the move. The results were surprising with only 42 percent in favour of dropping the limit to 0.02.

The proposed limits in Queensland have caused a fair bit of controversy given the number of additional motorists which may be caught. For example if the laws do come in to place many motorists would no longer be able to have a single alcoholic drink and stay under the limit.

The other issue with the proposed change is its effectiveness. Would a reduction in the drink-driving limit have any real affect on the road toll? If a driver is willing to drink and drive what difference will the slightly harsher limits actually make? Much more likely that the changes could result in a lot of everyday motorists being fined.

For example if a motorist spends a night out having a fair few drinks, it’s very likely that they will still be over the 0.02 limit the next morning but well and truly under the current 0.05 limit.

What are your thoughts on lowering the drink-driving blood alcohol limit from 0.05 to 0.02?

Discus Champion

I believe the government should reduce the limited to 0.00, going beyond the proposed 0.02.

I live in Hurstville, Sydney and travel to Haymarket almost daily, and as a pedestrian in Haymarket, some drivers do no slow down for the pedestrians. I believe many of these drivers may have had an alcoholic beverage or two (although still under the legal limit). These beverages would in turn affect their driving skills.

Regards, Jong Chen (Discus Champion).

Huy

what time are you refering to? and is this at a red light? or are you jaywalking?
there are alot of idiots out there and not all of them need a drink to be one

Shak

^^Im with you. Some drivers believe they can have a few and still be under the limit. The current limit gives people the false pretense that they are ok to drive, when in fact many people could be a fine waiting to happen. The limit should be 0.00, so that it coincides with the Government’s “DONT drink and drive” campaign.
ABMPSV

On freeway increase speed limit to 130km/h but we should have zero tolerance on alcohol when you driving.
Zero tolerance, (It is illegal to have any alcohol in your blood while driving in these countries.)
# Romania
# Saudi Arabia
# Slovakia
# United Arab Emirates
# Brazil
# Bangladesh
# Czech Republic
# Hungary

laurie

Spot on about 130km/h I drive to ACT and that road can tolerate that speed + more

laurie
Paul

Your average Aust driver travels at 10-20 km BELOW the limit in the right hand lane. The majority are simply incompetent. Raise the speed limit with so many dangerous drivers on the road and and you’re just increasing the speed of impact with these idiots.

Chasing drink drivers is a government sponsored witch hunt to distract from the fact most people simply have no idea how to drive. In the US they don’t do ‘random’ breath testing at all……. do they really have any more carnage on their roads? If the do gooders REALLY want to make the roads safer how about advanced driver training for all, and re-test every 10 years, that should boot all the low performance DANGEROUS drivers off the road!

Tony M

Spot on

Wayne Kerr

I think 0.05 is fine. A drink at a pub is part of the Australian lifestyle – most responsible people will stay under 0.05 or call a cab otherwise. After 3 drinks, I usually wait 3 hours and I’m right to drive (I feel quite sober by then but I could be 0.03).

There’ll always be a small percentage of people who will disregard the law – dropping the limit won’t make a different to them, but it will inconvenience all the responsible drinkers out there.

Shak

How will it? If you know your going to drive, do the really responsible thing and dont drink at all. You do know that Alcohol affects different people in different ways. So while you may be 0.03 with one drink, you mate next to you could be 0.1 and think that he is also fine. The simple fact is you can never predict what a person with even remote BAC will do. I know you may feel fine, but for a split second where the Alcohol may kick in, could be the second where you let go of the wheel, and disaster…
Family Guy

“After 3 drinks, I usually wait 3 hours and I’m right to drive (I feel quite sober by then but I could be 0.03)”

This kind of statement is exactly why the lower limit is proposed.

After 3 drinks – 3 drinks of what? this could be 6 standard drinks
I usually wait 3 hours – Usually? Only when it suits you?
I feel quite sober – Yes, that’s a tried a true measure.
but I could be 0.03 – More guess work!

If the limit was effectively zero, you wouldn’t have to make guesses about your impairment. A lot of people are guessing that they are OK and can squeak under the limit. If you drink you don’t drive, if you need to drive you don’t drink. It actually makes it a lot simpler.

Wayne Kerr

To stay below 0.05 BAC, men can have 2 standard drinks in the 1st hour and 1 more every hour thereafter. So yes, me waiting 3 hours after 3 beers (4.5 standard drinks) is more than enough.

The zero tolerance is a stupid idea, some people still have traces of alcohol in their blood even after a night’s sleep. BAC levels decline exponentially over time, much like radioactive decay – it takes a very long time to get rid those last traces. That’s why you need a reasonable limit of 0.05 just in case.

Things in moderation should be tolerated, otherwise, people get stripped of their freedoms.

http://www.facebook.com Mr awesome

your such a waynekerr!! (wanker get it?)

Frenchie

It is a good idea in theory but has dropping the limit from 0.08 achieved anything. It has just made the do gooders feel better about themselves. There is still alot of people out there that blow way over 0.08 limit even though it is now 0.05.
Tony M

I am amazed at the number of people who look for excuses for bad driving. If you drink and drive and are over the .05 limit you ARE an idiot. Lowering the alcohol limit to .02 has nothing to do with bad driving. Bad drivers will drive whether they are 0 to 1.5 to 2, what ever. By lowering the alcohol limit all you are doing is making law abiding people today become criminals of tomorrow. It’s time to start training people about hwo bad your reactions are when you are intoxicated.

If we go down this path, I can see the day when people can’t drive to work (and there are people who live in the outer suburbs that don’t have public transport) because their medication has alcohol.

John

What medication has alcohol that will push you above a BAC of 0.02?

Drifta

I also agree. The alcohol limit should be 0.02 (it cant be 0 as Im sure even eating some food items with alcohol content would then put you over) – just like every km/h over the limit increases your chance of crashing, so does evey drop of alcohol. But this wont happen despite it being the RIGHT thing to do because governments aernt about protecting people, they are about raising revenue… and it would also be political suicide. Which also relates to why they wont increase speed limits despite for example the road to Melbourne for the most part being more than capable of speeds 120km/h+ in a safe manner.

Adam

That makes no sense because if the BAC limit was lowered to 0.02, there would be MORE revenue raised.

There is scientific evidence to suggest that, for most people, a BAC of up to 0.05 does not really affect the body very much. Driving with a BAC of 0.02 is not much different to driving with a BAC of 0.05. Once you go over 0.05, however, more significant impairments of cognition and judgement become apparent.

Based on this, lowering the BAC limit would not really do much at all for driving behaviour. As a P-Plater with a BAC limit of zero, I have to plan ahead to ensure I don’t end up driving over the limit or being stranded somewhere. A lower limit would require this of every driver. Unfortunately, I don’t think that most have it in them to be that conscientious.

Nathan_s_phillips

I support it actually I think it should be dropped to zero tollerace to alcohol. Because even with the limit as it is now it reflects On to the younger teenage drivers even though their limit is zero but most teenagers are macho and think if mum or dad can drink and drive I can too