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Tag: Drink Drivers

  • One in Six Perth Drivers Breach Alcohol Interlock Conditions

    According to a recent article on Perth Now, one in six drink drivers who are forced to install an alcohol interlock device in their vehicles to get behind the wheel, is breaching their restricted licence.

    Since the new laws became effective in October last year, 118 interlock restricted licences has been issued.

    Figures showed that in the first year, 86 people had breath-testing immobilisers installed in their own vehicles as their own cost of about $1600, but in that period 19 breaches were recorded.

    The scheme may soon be introduced in Victoria, with Road Safety Minister Michelle Roberts signaling an interest in an interlock model. Source: https://www.perthnow.com.au

  • Drink Drivers Arrested During Operation Unite

    Alcohol related violence and drunken behaviour have been getting a lot of attention recently particularly in the aftermath of Operation Unite but another alcohol fuelled social issue which was identified as problematic during the blitz is drink driving.

    The police across Australia, in all states embarked on the blitz on alcohol fuelled misconduct and made hundreds of arrests relating to drink driving, violence and assaults.

    In the WA area of Esperance alone 5 motorists were arrested during the operation for drink driving and while the focus was on licensed venues and entertainment precincts, people getting behind the wheel while intoxicated is another huge problem that we need to tackle.

    According to Esperance police Sergeant Swadkins, officers charged 5 motorists with drink driving during the Operation Unite, designed to heighten the community’s awareness of social issues relating to alcohol. The following excerpt from www.esperanceexpress.com.au explains further:

    The operation was designed to heighten awareness in the community of the social issues that need to be addressed in the community, in particular excessive consumption and risky drinking behaviour, especially among young adults which leads to the risk of injury, assault and other violence.

    WA Police deployed its resources across the state, with a focus on licensed venues and entertainment precincts.

    Sgt Swadkins said police issued five street drinking infringements over the weekend.

    “We had three arrests that resulted in two disorderly charges and one obstruct police charge,” he said.

    Locally, police ran a number of rolling random breath tests to target any alcohol-related crime.

    “It’s disappointing that we had five people drink driving,” Sgt Swadkins said.

    Read more at: http://www.esperanceexpress.com.au/story/1975455/5-drink-drivers-nabbed-in-esperance-leg-of-operation-unite/?cs=1520

    According to Sgt Swadkins police operations will continue to target drink drivers over the Christmas and New Year periods. He issued a warning to drinkers that if they are going to drink, do not under any circumstance get behind the wheel of a vehicle.

    One of the major aims of Operation Unite this year, according to Metropolitan regional officer acting Commander Charlie Carver was to encourage the public to think about their behaviour and whether it would impact them personally in terms of their health, career or family relationships.

    As the Commander explained, going out and having fun is not a problem neither is having a few drinks but people need to stop binge drinking and learn what their limits are and stick to them – not only for their own personal wellbeing but also to be considerate of the people around them.

    The article goes on to explain:

    “Alcohol-fuelled anti-social behaviour is not acceptable, and it is time for a cultural shift in the way we drink to make our drinking behaviour safer and more responsible.”

    WA Police released its Operation Unite 2013 summary, detailing that state-wide, some 516 individuals were charged with offences over the period, 62 of those were excess 0.08 per cent charges, 66 for drug offences and 65 for disorderly behaviour.

    Read more at: http://www.esperanceexpress.com.au/story/1975455/5-drink-drivers-nabbed-in-esperance-leg-of-operation-unite/?cs=1520

  • Centre for Safety Research says Cars should have Alcohol Locking Devices Fitted

    According to South Australian experts, all cars should be fitted with alcohol testing ignition blocks. These experts claim that this move would almost eliminate drink driving within a decade, ultimately saving many lives and millions of dollars.

    According to a new report by The Centre for Automotive Safety Research in South Australia, authorities should consider fitting permanent alcohol interlock devices to the vehicles of repeat drink drivers as soon as possible. This would bring South Australian drink driving laws in line with other states which have already introduced mandatory interlock devices for repeat drink driving offenders.

    According to one of the authors of the report, Trevor Bailey who spoke to The Advertiser, “the new touchpad technology could be introduced to all vehicles to save lives”.  He went on to explain:

    He said if the “quick, accurate, reliable, unobtrusive and cheap” touchpad technology – which measures alcohol in perspiration – was fitted to all vehicles “then drink driving could be almost eliminated within 10 years”.

    “If an illegal concentration of alcohol is detected, then the vehicle will not start,” he said.

    “If the community were to support such testing on a widespread basis as a normal pre-driving check, as well as continuing existing interlock programs for offenders, then drivers with illegal alcohol levels will be prevented from entering the road system rather than being detected while on the road.”

    Mr Bailey said touchpad technology could be made a standard safety requirement for new cars and also rolled out to existing vehicles.

    Source: http://www.news.com.au/national/south-australia/centre-for-automotive-safety-research-report-urges-fitting-of-alcohol-locking-devices-to-the-vehicles-of-repeat-drink-drivers/story-fnii5yv4-1226758593549

    At the moment mandatory breathalyser devices are already being installed to cars of drivers caught with a blood alcohol reading of 0.15 per cent or higher or where a repeat offence is committed where the reading registers more than 0.08.

    The researchers discovered that this may not be sufficiently safe because once people had their interlock devices removed, the risks of reoffending also returned.

    And as the researchers explained, the minority of repeat offenders who do not seem capable of changing their behaviour may need to have the mandatory interlock device fitted as the only way for them to maintain the right to drive.

    Figures seem to support the researcher’s claims. Currently it seems increasing numbers of drivers are being forced to fit an interlock device.

    SA figures indicated that more than 2700 drink drivers have been caught 3 or more times in the past decade while an even worse group of about 42 drivers had been caught 6 six times. The worst group of drivers of about 16 drivers were caught 7 times or more over the limit.

    The alcohol interlock device works in a way that makes it compulsory for drivers to blow into the device before turning on the car’s ignition. The device then measures the breath alcohol level and if over the limit will prevent the car’s engine from starting.

     

     

  • 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.

     

  • Drink Drivers Cars to be fitted with Interlock

    All drink driver’s cars will be fitted with interlock devices at their own cost under a new reform of Vic’s road laws.  The crackdown on drink drivers is expected to catch about 17,000 motorists a year who exceed the legal alcohol limit. This is a serious issue in a state where 20 to 30 per cent of road deaths are a result of drunk drivers.

    The interlocks stop the car’s engine from starting if the driver drinks over the legal limit and attempts to drive.

    The Herald Sun newspaper conducted a survey into whether citizens were in favour of the new reforms of not and 83 per cent consented to the increased use of interlocks. The survey convinced the State Government of the public’s support of the interlocks and toughening drink driving laws.

    The interlock costs the driver around $400 to install and $160 a month to maintain and also requires the driver to undertake a re-test while driving, cost and inconvenience that I’m sure everyone wants to avoid. And by forcing users to pay, it was a deterrent to drink driving because nobody wants to part with their own money. Use of the interlock device costs $1049 for six months and over a four year period it would cost the person $6509. If a driver attempts to start the vehicle while drunk and the car doesn’t start, the attempt is still recorded. This is an important deterrent as authorities believe that most drink drivers are repeat offenders of will be. In fact 30 per cent of drink drivers will attempt to drink drive again.

    Read what this post by HeraldSun.com.au had to say about the issue:

    “This will also bring about a strong cultural change and it will save lives,” Mr Ryan told Fairfax Radio today.

    “People get killed on our roads not because of accidents – it happens because people make poor choices and the issue here is do not drink and drive.”

    The law will apply to all drink-drivers, unless they are able to convince a court “exceptional circumstances” exist in their case.

    Interlocks protect not only the community and would-be drink-drivers, but the drink-drivers from themselves

    Work has already started on drafting the legislation and the Government will enact it as soon as possible.

    “Some may argue these are harsh penalties for drink-drivers,” Mr Ryan said.

    “But people should remember interlocks aim to stop more families from suffering the pain of losing loved ones. Interlocks protect not only the community and would-be drink-drivers, but the drink-drivers from themselves.”

    Currently, only repeat offenders, drivers who blow more than .15, and those aged under 26 who blow .07 or more have interlocks fitted.

    The duration ranges from six months to four years depending on the blood alcohol reading and on whether the driver is a repeat offender.

    Read the full story at: http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/law-order/toughest-clamp-on-drink-drivers-since-booze-bus/story-fnat79vb-1226584586165

    592914-interlock-device

    This infographic from HeraldSun.com explains more about the interlock:

    Source: HeraldSun.com

    Recognising the signs that indicate intoxication is vital to people who serve alcohol because as an RSA worker you want to ensure you do not contribute to the problem of drink driving or any other form alcohol fuelled misconduct. The RSA Course is the first step in ensuring your contribution to safer and healthier Australia by helping you recognise your responsibilities and duties according to the law and how to carry them out. If you notice a person is unduly intoxicated or has had a significant amount of alcohol, encourage them to take public transport home or call them a taxi.