More senseless policy (new zero alcohol limit for youth)

[kingkarl 136]

http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/5...riving-imminent

Thoughts?

Edited August 4, 2011 by kingkarl

[5amchris 45]

I dont think its going to stop them.

[dubman 39]

^ i agree, it wont stop the people who make conscious decisions to "drink drive"

my friend in med school drink drives, thinking he is fine to drive, even if it meant a conviction would result in him from being unable to become a doctor. It is more of educating people to not drive drive even if you think you are capable of unimpaired driving.

although fear of being caught is a good deterrent, lowering the alcohol limit to zero won't make significant changes at all

[unstable 0]

I have a couple of mates (19yo) who have been DIC'd and were only just over the limit, they honestly thought they were ok, so if the zero alcohol limit was inplace then bith of them wouldn't have lost thier licences as they wouldn't have drunk or driven.

so I think its a great idea.

[M5V8 337]

+1

great idea.

at that age you really need all your senses concentrating, because they don't know it, but they actually aren't Micheal Schumacher.

I agree it probably wont make a massive difference but at least the line is drawn.

Edited August 4, 2011 by M5V8

[Michael. 2312]

I'm for it. One of my silly friends a few years ago, would have been 18 at the time was somewhat drunk in his large 4x4 by himself, driving at night, plowed through a red light and into the front fender of a car travelling across the intersection. What a fool.

Drinking + Driving shouldn't not be mixed, theres just too much grey area, at least it's a start for under 20s

[allan 295]

This is a beginning but needs to be extended across the whole driving spectrum. In conjunction with a change in the mind set of most kiwis about alcohol / driving in general. A few people will always try and buck the system but the majority will come to see it is worth it to reduce the financial and emotional cost to us all. Also how many of us can honestly say they have never had a drink and then driven?.

[kingkarl 136]

I suppose my main gripe with it is this:

It will punish people like myself (for the next 9 months at least) who do the responsible thing, sleep if off at a mates place and get up to drive to work the next morning. At 8am the morning after, there will still be insignificant traces of alcohol in my system - which I could be DIC'd for. Is it impairing me? Hell no. Can I feel the effects of it? Hell no - Will there be severe consequences of it for me? Hell yes.

People like myself who don't drink (more than 2 beers) and then drive aren't the dangerous ones. The dangerous ones are the ones who don't give a sh*t about the rules (as they are at the moment), get hammered, drive dangerously with no seatbelt on and kill themselves and their 7 mates all crammed in their clapped out civic. If they don't respect the 150mcg limit now, the wont respect zero tolerance. And I hate to say it, but all of these people are the ones that are crashing and taking other innocents with them.

I do fully support the goal of the legislation as young drivers have a lot to answer for with respect to road safety, but I don't think this is the right approach.

Personally I absolutely despise being punished for other's wrongdoings and this is essentially what this is. F*** the nanny state.

+1

great idea.

at that age you really need all your senses concentrating, because they don't know it, but they actually aren't Micheal Schumacher.

I agree it probably wont make a massive difference but at least the line is drawn.

Yeah you're right. A lot of younger drivers are appalling (I've got a few mates who should never be allowed to even sit in a driver's seat). But a lot of us are more competant than the average motorist.

What's safer - A 20+ driver with 400mcg or an under 20 with 150mcg.

I'm for it. One of my silly friends a few years ago, would have been 18 at the time was somewhat drunk in his large 4x4 by himself, driving at night, plowed through a red light and into the front fender of a car travelling across the intersection. What a fool.

Drinking + Driving shouldn't not be mixed, theres just too much grey area, at least it's a start for under 20s

Again, he's a drunk driver. A youth at sub 150mcg levels is extremely unlikely to fail this hard.

But yeah, a start is a start.

This is a beginning but needs to be extended across the whole driving spectrum. In conjunction with a change in the mind set of most kiwis about alcohol / driving in general. A few people will always try and buck the system but the majority will come to see it is worth it to reduce the financial and emotional cost to us all. Also how many of us can honestly say they have never had a drink and then driven?.

I don't agree. Limited consumption of alcohol mixed with driving is not dangerous - show me statistics that prove otherwise. Almost all alcohol related crashes happen when the driver is shitfaced not one or two beers down. I think the adult limit should be reduced, but the youth limit where it stood was OK in my mind.

[westy 614]

Too old, dont care.

[allan 295]

We all will have an opinion on this one, some for some against. When you get behind the wheel and drive you have a weapon at your disposal and how you deal with that is your choice. To impair your decision making by having had a few drinks, is still a poor decision no matter what time span has elapsed. Look at the millions it costs NZ for the damage done when an accident occurs involving alcohol. With a zero limit acroos the board we all would be winners with less ACC charges, car rego and other benifits it might bring. The culture needs to change if not by education then maybe this law change and others will give it a push in the right direction. This is only my opinion and I know others will disagree but it all leads to health discussion.

Cheers Allan

[kinetik 4]

Great move. I'd also like to see the adult BAC limit reduced from 0.8 to 0.5.

[cliffdunedin 8]

I suppose my main gripe with it is this: It will punish people like myself (for the next 9 months at least) who do the responsible thing, sleep if off at a mates place and get up to drive to work the next morning.

The law is the law and now the line is drawn but i can def see your point in this regards, as i was the same when i was a young fella, i used to leave my car at mates, rugby clubs, town, anywhere!! and would walk the next day to pick it up but could guarantee you there was still enough alcohol in my system after 12 or so hours to be above zero

[Young Thrash Driver 1020]

I guess its a start.

However if the Gummint really wanted to lower the road toll, they'd make all drivers, not just the young ones, learn to drive.

My 2c is, our current licence only requires a knowledge of the rules, its not a test of anybodys competence behind the wheel

[kiwi535 538]

I guess its a start.

However if the Gummint really wanted to lower the road toll, they'd make all drivers, not just the young ones, learn to drive.

My 2c is, our current licence only requires a knowledge of the rules, its not a test of anybodys competence behind the wheel

the powers that be seem to beleive that if they train us we will become 'racing' drivers so they think we should remain ignorant and 'scared'

[Nobimmer 694]

Too old, dont care.

lol

[leithcm 0]

I am for this. I have two lads who thought they were bullet proof - but (thank god!! ) they never came to grief. If it is not their own stupid behaviour that catches them out it is the other drunken idiot. Wrong place at the wrong time is a sad way to go!

[_ethrty-Andy_ 2122]

im undecided, on the best action, but this is not it

zero limit is stupid imo. so now we cant use mouth wash or use cough mixture etc for fear of some getting into our system?

I believe there are two better ways to tackle the problem

1/ Extend it across ALL age brackets. Youth are targeted as the problem too much, but there is a significant proportion of "adult" drivers that do it too.

2/ Raise the penalty, or educate people on the current penalty. okay so i loose my licence for 3 months.... im still going to drive to get to work etc arent i? how often do you get pulled over and breath tested? and 90% of the time when you do they ask you what licence you are on, say your on your full and they dont even ask to check it. I would hazard a guess most people will not be aware that they cannot be a doctor/cop/lawyer/lots of other things if thats on your record, not to mention insurance will be harder to get. How about a higher financial penalty as well? It would sure as hell stop me from risking it after 2 or 3 beers..... i wouldnt even start.

[kiwi535 538]

im undecided, on the best action, but this is not it

zero limit is stupid imo. so now we cant use mouth wash or use cough mixture etc for fear of some getting into our system?

I believe there are two better ways to tackle the problem

1/ Extend it across ALL age brackets. Youth are targeted as the problem too much, but there is a significant proportion of "adult" drivers that do it too.

2/ Raise the penalty, or educate people on the current penalty. okay so i loose my licence for 3 months.... im still going to drive to get to work etc arent i? how often do you get pulled over and breath tested? and 90% of the time when you do they ask you what licence you are on, say your on your full and they dont even ask to check it. I would hazard a guess most people will not be aware that they cannot be a doctor/cop/lawyer/lots of other things if thats on your record, not to mention insurance will be harder to get. How about a higher financial penalty as well? It would sure as hell stop me from risking it after 2 or 3 beers..... i wouldnt even start.

i think a zero limit is too much too.I think we should have .05 for full license holders and a very low limit for learner/restricted drivers of all ages.

Society as a whole is slowly starting to moderate alcohol related behaviour but we have a long way to go.The lowering of the drinking age was a HUGE mistake as was liberating the sale of alcohol.

[Rabbit 0]

Mouthwash etc don't get picked up unless you just had it or drink the stuff. You get retested anyway and can get a blood test which wont false positive.

It is election year there are always stupid changes that sound good to the masses to win votes.

Will not change much at all that I can see.

And the younger you are the more you are effected until around 23ish when the brain stops growing. Few less drinks would be a good thing, wish I drank less it'd make life easier now if I could remember things better.