RSA Course Online

Tag: Crash

  • Man Six times over Alcohol Limit Crashes Car

    The consequences of drink driving can be severe even if they do not prove fatal, as they often do, you could be left paralysed, brain damaged or cause serious injury or death to others, sadly many people are ignoring the risks and choosing to drive while intoxicated. This irresponsible behaviour was the cause of crash which place at Clifton recently. A driver who was 6 times over the legal alcohol limit was injured in a crash.

    The man was subsequently charged after police received the results of the blood test which they administered on the man which demonstrated that he was well over the legal alcohol limit. The man’s blood alcohol concentration was 0.321 and the legal limit is 0.05 per cent.

    The article on www.warwickdailynews.com.au explains:

    BLOOD taken from a man who was injured in a crash at Clifton has revealed he was more than six times over the legal alcohol limit, according to police.

    Clifton police officer-in-charge Sergeant Guy Smidt said he charged the 45-year-old man on Tuesday after receiving the results of the blood test.

    Sgt Smidt said the man’s blood was sampled after the car he was driving ended up on the railway line in a single vehicle crash at the intersection of Clark St and Wiedman Rd about 3pm on December 1, last year.

    He said tests indicated the man had a blood alcohol concentration of 0.321.

    The man was charged with driving under the influence of liquor as well as driving a vehicle that was not fitted with an interlock device.

    Source: http://www.warwickdailynews.com.au/news/crash-driver-six-times-over-limit/2134535/

    According to a police sergeant the reading was particularly high. He expressed his frustration that drivers are simply not getting the message when it comes to the dangers of drink driving.

    The culprit was transported to hospital for treatment after the crash. The man will appear in court on 19 February. The post goes on to explain:

    “It is an extremely high reading,” Sgt Smidt said.

    “We just can’t get the message through.”

    He said at the time of the incident, the man had been taken to Toowoomba Hospital for treatment to injuries to his lower spine and sternum.

    Source: http://www.warwickdailynews.com.au/news/crash-driver-six-times-over-limit/2134535/

    Despite the fact that alcohol slows down your brain functions and causes drivers to react slower and affects decision making negatively too many drivers are making the wrong choices.

    Alcohol reduces your ability to judge your speed and distance, so you don’t notice how close other cars and objects are to you. It is important that before we even pick up a drink we should ensure we have a safe way home.

    But sadly, alcohol makes you more confident than you would be normally, leading you to think it is safe to drive and resulting in more dangerous and reckless driving behaviour.

  • Why so many road crashes are caused by Alcohol

    It seems that drink driving is one of those problems that is universal, no matter where you go in the world you will probably find drink drivers, in some places the problem may be worse than in others.

    Recently in New Zealand a woman was killed in an early morning crash which left another 3 people injured. We seldom hear of people drink driving in the early morning unless they are still on a buzz from the night before. It is not known whether the driver involved in this incident was intoxicated from the night before or began drinking early in the morning, the accident took place in Auckland around 5:30am.

    The vehicle was apparently travelling quite slowly at below 50km per hour but passengers weren’t wearing seatbelts and the driver may have been intoxicated which is what is suspected to have caused the crash and resulted in a fatality.

    The accident happened when the vehicle carrying 4 people collided with another vehicle before smashing into a power pole. The driver of the vehicle, a 20 year old woman died and the other occupants of the vehicle were injured. The second car’s occupant was not injured.

    The occupants of the first vehicle were trapped and had to be freed from the wreckage by firefighters. The injured were taken to Auckland Hospital for treatment. The article on Fullyloaded.com.au goes on to explain,

    However, speed may not have been a factor, as police told 3News it was believed the car was not travelling at more than 50 km/h.

    Police will investigate whether alcohol was involved, with toxicology tests due to be taken during a post-mortem tomorrow.

    Bottles of alcohol were found inside the vehicle, Senior Sergeant Matt Knowsley said.

    “Whether that alcohol was actually involved in the operating of the vehicle we don’t know. We’re trying to firm it up.”

    Mr Knowsley said police suspected the occupants of the crashed car were not wearing seatbelts.

    A number of people witnessed the crash, who were being interviewed by police.

    “It’s not a nice thing to see on a Sunday morning, or at any time, for that matter,” Mr Knowsley said.

    Police were in the process of formally identifying the deceased woman and notifying her next of kin.

    “The message here is, as with most accidents, they are avoidable,” Senior Sergeant Logan Christian said.

    Source: http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11135642

    As this incident proves, intoxicated drivers do not need to be travelling over the speed limit to get into or cause a crash. This vehicle was travelling below the speed limit when it crashed and even cars travelling at moderate speeds can be involved in fatal accidents. This is a warning to all drivers about the dangers of drink driving and a reminder to RSA staff to ensure that customers who are intoxicated are not allowed to get behind the wheel. If you notice that they are intoxicated ask them if you can assist by calling a cab or a friend for them.

  • NZ Student Dies in Car Crash fuelled by “Lethal” dose of Alcohol

    It seems that not a day passes when we don’t hear about the consequences of drink driving in the media in the form of a car crash somewhere in the world. Sadly despite the media being so rife with these “warnings” people are still risking the lives and the lives of other innocent road-users by engaging in the dangerous, irresponsible and reckless act of drink driving.

    Unfortunately drink driving isn’t the only risky behaviour, it seems that pedestrians who are intoxicated are also being run over by vehicles more often. Obviously excessive amounts of alcohol is never good but particularly so when you’re going to be out on the street, whether driving or walking, your cognitive and motor functions are impaired and that places you at risk.

    The latest tragedy involves a university student who coroners say had consumed lethal amounts of alcohol before he was hit by a car and killed.

    The young man, Geoffrey Nicholas Peren was a 20 year old Victoria University student who was hit by a car while crossing a street in central Wellington in June 2011.

    According to the coroner Mr Peren had been to a party the night before and had consumed a large amount of spirits before he left without telling anyone where he was going.

    The young man contacted his girlfriend at 10pm that night in a disorientated state, thinking that he was in Dunedin. While on the phone with his girlfriend he was hit by a car and his girlfriend heard a loud bang and Mr Peren did not say anything further. His girlfriend then ended the call.

    The young man was wearing dark clothing and crossing against the pedestrian signal when he was hit by a car being driven by a woman.

    Tragically the man suffered serious injuries to the head and died in hospital. The blood alcohol test showed Mr Peren had a level of 305 milligrams per litre of blood. The coroner explained this amount of alcohol is “clinical extreme” and potentially lethal. It also reinforces why Responsible Service of Alcohol is so important, so that we do not see more cases of this nature occurring every time a patron leaves a bar or pub.

    Most workers in the alcohol service industry are aware of the need to undergo responsible service of alcohol training however RSA training should not be looked at as just a mandatory requirement that employers force you to undergo because then you will not have incentive to enforce it (other than the legal one).

    People should look at RSA training as a service to society. Staff of licensed venues who undergo responsible service of alcohol training and enforce the rules learnt are contributing to a better society and helping people who would otherwise be put in harm’s way, risking their own health and safety and that of others.

    Servers of alcohol who perform their duties according to RSA regulations provide a duty of care that also promotes job satisfaction. Workers who are serving customers responsibly and performing their duty are happier employees and so are more productive.

     

  • Police Investigate Perth Crashes

    A serious road crash in Perth recently has been linked to alcohol according to police.

    According to reports the driver’s vehicle left the road and capsized after he failed to negotiate a roundabout, possibly due to intoxication. He then hit into a parked car, a fence and power pole.

    This article on Yahoo News explains:

    Police are investigating whether alcohol was a factor in crashes in Perth’s east last night.

    About 11.58 pm, police were called to Wanaping Road in Kenwick where a 29-year-old Parkwood man had crashed his vehicle.

    It is believed that the man’s vehicle left the road and overturned after he failed to negotiate a roundabout.

    The man’s car proceeded to strike a parked car, a fence and a power pole.

    Police conducted a breath test on the man but the results are not yet known.

    Source: http://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/a/-/breaking/17617698/police-probe-alcohol-as-factor-in-crashes/

    A second accident on the same night occurred when a man’s vehicle left the road and crashed into the bushes. Breathalyser tests revealed that the man was intoxicated at the time. He was charged with drink driving.

    The article went on to state:

    In a separate incident in Bayswater, a Hyundai Elantra sedan also left the road and crashed into bushes on Wyatt Road and Higgins Way.

    Police were called to the crash around 4am and breathalysed a 55-year-old man.

    After failing the test, the male was charged with drink driving.

    Source: http://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/a/-/breaking/17617698/police-probe-alcohol-as-factor-in-crashes/

    One of the greatest road safety issues in Oz at the moment is the number of crashes being caused by drink driving.

    Most people enjoy a little drink from time to time and there is nothing wrong with this in fact even doctors recommend a glass of wine a day for good heart health.

    The problem comes in when people drink and behave irresponsibly, such as drinking and driving (when their blood alcohol level is above 0.05). Most people don’t realise that they are over the legal limit when they get behind the wheel after a drink or two. As a drinker you either need to know how much alcohol is contained in the drinks you consume to ensure you are not exceeding the limit or an even better idea would be to avoid driving altogether.

    People who drink and drive need to remember that alcohol, even in small quantities can have an effect on your driving.

    Alcohol doesn’t get digested like food but rather gets absorbed into the bloodstream from the small intestine as well as the stomach and colon. The blood transports the alcohol to your vital organs including the heart and brain – both of which are vital in the process of driving. These organs coordinate our activities and ability to drive.

    Some of the effects of alcohol on our driving abilities include:

    • Our perception is affected. People who drink are less likely to observe traffic signs, bikers, pedestrians or cars coming from the opposite side;
    • Drinkers have less control over their reactions in traffic situations; your eyes are slower and need to concentrate on the same object for a longer period of time than you would ordinarily.
    • When we drink our space perspective narrows and we tend to focus more to the front of us rather than looking to the left and right
    • Reaction times also increase as our reflexes become slower or diminish depending on how drunk we are. That means in an emergency stop situation or traffic it would take more time to respond fast and adapt accordingly.

    Drivers who drink before driving tend to be overconfident about their abilities and are less capable of good judgement. Often drinking also makes people drowsy which is probably what contributes to so many crashes where the drivers drove off the road and crashed into stationery objects such as fences, streets, poles etc. like in the 2 incidents mentioned earlier.

     

  • Responsible Service of Alcohol News: Man Three Times over the Limit Involved in Crash

    A man more than 3 times over the legal alcohol limit was involved in a crash in Hervey Bay, last week.

    The man crashed his car while driving over the limit on Wednesday night.

    The man was trapped in the car which flipped and landed on its side. The man was treated at Hervey Bay hospital and then taken to a police station for a breathalyser test which returned a reading of over 0.150, the legal limit is 0.05.

    The man will have to appear in court over the incident but is lucky to be alive.

    FraserCoastChronicle.com.au reported this on the story:

    A MAN will have to face court after allegedly returning a blood alcohol reading more than triple the legal limit after crashing his car on Main St at Ghost Hill on Wednesday night.

    A Hervey Bay police spokesman said officers, who went to the crash about 8.30pm, found the driver trapped in the vehicle which was on its side.

    The man was freed from the vehicle and transported to Hervey Bay Hospital for treatment for injuries.

    After this, the man was taken to the police station for a breath test, the spokesman said.

    Even with the amount of time that had passed at the hospital, the man’s alcohol reading was alleged to still be over 0.150, the high alcohol limit.

    The man was given a notice to appear in Hervey Bay Magistrates Court, the spokesman said.

    Source: http://www.frasercoastchronicle.com.au/news/man-appear-court-drink-driving-after-car-crash/1870577/

    It is sad to think that people not only have no respect for their own lives but endanger the lives of other road users as well by getting behind the wheel while intoxicated.

    This driver was lucky to escape with his life but he is also extremely lucky to have not involved anyone else in the crash or the consequences could have been much more severe for him and an innocent life (or lives) may have been lost.

    Impaired vision, slowed reaction times, the inability to keep straight on the road or within one’s own lane are just some of the consequences of drink driving, anyone of which or a combination of which can lead to serious and possibly fatal crashes.

    Alcohol also has the ability to make a driver feel relaxed which may cause them to fall asleep at the wheel. A number of people have caused serious crashes in this manner and this may have been what caused this crash in Hervey Bay.

    Alcohol also gives people a false sense of confidence which results in increased risk taking behaviour which while driving can involve speeding, dangerous manoeuvres, running stop signs etc.

    If you are going to go out and drink please do the responsible thing and call a friend or taxi for a lift home.

    Bartenders and anyone serving alcohol should try to stop anyone who is inebriated from driving. Although this may seem like a difficult task to accomplish especially on a busy night in a crowded bar, try to keep somewhat of a record of how many drinks you serve any particular person. Encourage patrons to call for a lift home or do it for them. Also promote responsible drinking by limiting the amount of alcohol you serve to any one patron.

     

  • Drink Driving Leads to Crash in Milton

    According to Roads Transport and Maritime Services NSW, drink driving is a factor in about one in every five crashes in NSW where someone loses their life. Of the drink drivers who are killed, 97 per cent are men and 64 per cent are under the age of 40.

    The consequences of driving while under the influence of alcohol have once again been demonstrated by an incident that took place in Milton last month. A man driving while intoxicated has been charged after causing a crash on the Princes Highway.

    The middle aged man was charged after being found with an alcohol reading of point 060. This type of behaviour is however not uncommon, another driver in Ulladulla has been found driving almost 2 times over the legal limit.

    Powerfm.com.au reports:

    A man has been charged with drink driving after a crash in Milton last month.

    The crash happened about 8PM on Sunday April 21 at the intersection of the Princes Highway and Matron Porter Drive.

    A 49 year old Morton man who was driving a Flacon Ute has been charged with drink driving after returning a blood alcohol reading of point 060.

    He has been ordered to appear in Milton Court next month.

    Meantime a 58 year old Ulladulla man has been charged with drink driving after returning a reading more than twice the limit.

    He was stopped in Petty’s Ave Ulladulla.

    Source: http://www.powerfm.com.au/nowra/index.php/news/36921-drink-drive-charge-after-crash

    One of the most important issues to remember is that you don’t have to be drunk to be affected by alcohol. You might feel normal but no one drives as well as they should after drinking alcohol. Also Roads Transport and Maritime Services NSW reminds road users that novice drivers in particular should not drink before driving, even though the legal limit is 0.05, learner drivers should refrain from alcohol altogether because they are at a much higher risk of crashing than more experienced drivers. It is for this reason that learner and provisional licence holders are restricted to a zero alcohol limit.

    Another misconception is that by drinking coffee, eating a meal or apples you can bring down your alcohol level. Sobering up takes time and no amount of coffee, food, physical activity or sleep will speed up the process. Police will take any excuses if your blood alcohol level is over the limit.

    In NSW, police have the power to stop drivers at random to test for alcohol and subsequently arrest drivers who have an illegal blood alcohol level. They may also arrest drivers they believe are impaired by drugs including alcohol and conduct a blood and urine test. Police may require a driver to undergo a sobriety test in certain circumstances. Do not think that you can get away with drink driving, last year NSW police conducted millions of breath tests (around 4.5 million).

    The Random Breath Test has been highly successful in deterring drink driving and stopping accidents since its inception in 1982. According to statistics provided by The Roads Transport and Maritime Services fatal crashes involving alcohol have dropped from around 40 per cent of all fatalities to the current level of 19 per cent since breath testing has been introduced.