RSA Course Online

Tag: Drink Driving

  • RSA Update: Reducing Drink Driving

    It seems like almost every day someone somewhere in Oz is caught for drink driving despite efforts to educate the public about the dangers of getting behind the wheel after consuming alcohol.

    The most recent incident reported by www.News.com.au was of a man who was detected driving with a blood alcohol level, 4 times over the legal limit.

    Drink driving is dangerous for so many reasons, one of them being because it makes obeying the rules of the road and rational thinking difficult. The man involved was not only over the limit but was also speeding.

    Before drink driving, drivers should consider the consequences and penalties that drink driving can cause. For example your licence can be suspended which in itself is more than just inconvenient, especially for those whose livelihood is somehow dependent upon being able to drive.

    Drivers be aware of the consequences of drink driving which can be much greater than the consequences of abstaining from drinking if you have to drive or calling a taxi. In addition to having his vehicle impounded for 28 days the man also had his licence confiscated for 12 months. However this is still luckier than he could have been, he could have been killed or caused the death of other innocent road users had a crash occurred.

    Below is the post from News.com.au detailing the incident:

    A MAN’S car has been impounded after he was allegedly caught driving with a blood alcohol reading more than four times the legal limit yesterday on The Parade at Magill.

    About 4.25pm, police conducting laser duties on The Parade allegedly detected a silver Nissan four-wheel-drive vehicle traveling at 62 km/h in a 50 km/h zone.

    After submitting to a breath test, the driver recorded a reading of 0.207.

    He was issued a 12-month instant loss of licence notice and had his car impounded for 28 days.

    The 67-year-old man from Magill was reported for exceeding the prescribed concentration of alcohol, and exceeding the speed limit.

    He will appear in court at a later date.

    Source: http://www.news.com.au/breaking-news/driver-blew-four-times-alcohol-limit/story-e6frfkp9-1226624145261

    Alcohol Servers: What you can Do to Reduce Drink Driving

    Alcohol servers should learn what a standard drink constitutes and know more or less the alcoholic content of drinks you serve so that you are able to advise patrons accordingly and assist them in remaining sober. Learn what a standard drink is and stick to the government’s recommended daily standard drink. This will allow you to remain within the limits of the law when serving patrons or drinking yourself. Advise your customers not to drink and drive and encourage them to call a taxi or friend for a lift home. Have a phone that patrons can use if they need to call for transport home.

     

  • Decrease in Alcohol Related Incidents on Adelaide Buses

    According to a report on Adelaidenow.com.au the instances of drunk passengers causing disturbances on public buses is quite a common occurrence.

    The post on Adelaidenow.com.au quoted statistics from Transfield Services which revealed that drunk passengers and those drinking alcohol were responsible for almost half of the incidents on buses travelling on 2 of Adelaide’s busiest bus routes in the past 10 months.

    According to the post Transfield Services statistics show that 432 incidents have been reported since 2 Wilson Security guards were hired in May to monitor the situation. The security guards are tasked with watching bus interchanges, known as hot spots and trouble services which occur on the weekends (Thursday and Sunday nights).

    There were a number of passengers who were drunk and these passengers seem to cause most of the incidents on Adelaide’s buses. There have now been calls for more guards to be hired to protect the safety of drivers as well as other passengers. So far the new guards have had a positive impact on bus safety.

    The post on Adelaidenow.com.au goes on to state:

    Passengers who were intoxicated or drinking accounted for 47 per cent of incidents, while a further 29 per cent were of incidents involved passengers displaying abusive, anti-social and offensive behaviour.

    The detection rates have prompted calls from the Transport Workers Union to hire more guards to protect drivers and passengers.

    Transfield, which operates 43 per cent of Adelaide’s bus network along the outer northeast and north-south routes through its subsidiary Light-City Buses, said incident numbers had dropped by about one-third since the introduction of security guards.

    Incident reporting before the guards were hired was recorded from driver and public feedback.

    Transfield Services SA general manager Mark Duckett said the security guards had provided greater safety for passengers and confidence to bus drivers.

    Mr Duckett said a third guard was hired in March to provide increased support.

    “We are always looking for ways to improve the journey for our passengers … to increase support covering the city’s rail and bus connections, especially where buses are replacing rail services,” he said.

    One in four incidents in the past 10 months involved suspicious behaviour, trespassing, graffiti and fighting on buses and at interchanges.

    Guards can also check tickets and escort passengers to their cars and their cars are equipped with CCTV cameras, GPS equipment and first aid kits.

    Source: http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/news/south-australia/incidents-on-adelaide-buses-largely-linked-to-alcohol-have-dropped-after-guards-introduced-on-transfield-routes/story-e6frea83-1226625403880

    The post goes on to explain that Transport Workers Union representative Ian Gonsalves said it would lobby the Government for more security guards to increase driver and passenger safety.

    While it is commendable that people are using public transport rather than drink driving, people should not be binge drinking or drinking to the extent that they become raucous and out of hand, especially in public, thereby becoming a threat to public safety.

    When drinking it is vital people do so responsibly and in moderation. Going out for a drink at the end of a hard day’s work is every person’s prerogative and can enhance relaxation and promote socialisation but excessive drinking not only places you as the drinker at risk but can result in behaviour that may land you in hot water.

     

  • Risks Involved with Drink Driving

    One of the aspects of responsible drinking is ensuring that you arrange safe transport home and do not engage in drink driving.

    Although most people think they can handle driving after a few drinks, countless studies (and statistics) have proven that alcohol reduces a person’s ability to drive safely. Even those who show few visible signs of alcohol in their system do not drive as well as usual after drinking. This is because alcohol affects most areas of the brain, and these effects are wide-ranging and impossible to compensate for. The brain being responsible for your movements and reflexes, it becomes difficult to engage in complex tasks once it has been affected by alcohol.

    It is also because alcohol is a depressant which means it has the following effects:

    • Slowing brain function making it difficult to respond to situations, make decisions or react quickly.
    • Reduces a person’s ability to judge how fast they are travelling or the distance from other cars.
    • It gives a person false confidence. People take greater risks because they think their driving is better than it really is.
    • Makes multi-tasking difficult. When it comes to driving, while you concentrate on steering, you could miss seeing traffic lights, cars entering from side streets or pedestrians.
    • Affects the sense of balance which is especially important for motorcycle riders.
    • Causes sleepiness.

    From these effects it becomes obvious that operating any machinery or vehicles once intoxicated is not only irresponsible but selfish because you could do more harm to others than you do to yourself. It is not only car or truck drivers that can injure or kill people and damage property as an incident in Brisbane recently proved. An elderly man was charged with operating his motorised wheelchair while intoxicated. The man was without any remorse although being found to be 4 times over the legal limit. It seems the man’s motorised wheelchair overturned probably due to speeding or reckless driving.

    Read what this post on Brisbanetimes.com.au reported on the incident:

    Ray Vivian Hodges, of Buderim on the Sunshine Coast, recorded the alcohol reading after police found him sprawled on the ground, shirtless and mumbling incoherently, beside his overturned scooter at Mooloolaba in late March.

    With the aid of a walking stick, Mr Hodges has faced Maroochydore Magistrates Court for what was his fourth drink-driving charge since 2008.

    Mr Hodges who admitted consuming 10 large glasses of wine, recorded a blood-alcohol reading of 0.209.

    He had “taken offence” at some police allegations particularly the categorisation of his scooter as a vehicle, saying “on this occasion, the wheelchair was my legs [and] as my legs, it was the only way I could get home”.

    Mr Hodges was disqualified from driving for 18 months and sentenced to four months in jail, suspended for two years.

    Read more: http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/queensland/elderly-man-nabbed-drink-driving-on-motorised-wheelchair-20130416-2hx8b.html#ixzz2QhgXkVBE

    The magistrate said that in light of the recent death of a scooter rider, Kim Horrigan, who was hit by a van at Currimundi, people like Mr Hodges need to be stopped before they kill themselves or someone else.

     

  • 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.

     

  • Alcohol Suspected in Car Wreck in which 5 were injured

     

    A woman whose state of mind was impaired by alcohol is alleged to have been the cause of a car crash in which 5 people were injured. The woman crossed the centre line of the road, going over onto oncoming traffic and striking another vehicle. The woman was also travelling over the speed limit and according to police was not wearing her seatbelt. In addition to being injured herself, the driver also caused the injuries of other innocent road users, an example of the real cost of drink driving, in addition to the financial costs of fines and penalties.

    Read about the accident below with a post from www.news-record.com:

    Eden police said they suspect a woman was impaired from drinking alcohol when she crossed the center line and crashed into another vehicle Thursday evening, injuring herself and four other people.

    Eden police said Rhonda Reid Wood, 49, of Eden was driving her Chevy Malibu above the speed limit west in the 100 block of East Aiken Road about 7 p.m. when she crossed the center line and struck a Toyota Camry.

    Wood and the driver of the Camry, a 29-year-old Eden woman, were taken by helicopter to Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center in Winston-Salem. Wood was listed in serious condition Friday morning. The driver of the Camry had been released from the hospital.

    The three passengers in the Camry — a 36-year-old man, a 7-year-old girl and a 12-year-old boy — were taken to Morehead Memorial Hospital in Eden.

    The adult passenger was later released. Information about the children was not immediately available.

    Source: http://www.news-record.com/news/787889-63/number-of-victims-unknown-in

    Although this incident occurred in The USA, similar situations are occurring on a regular basis in Australia and it is a relevant topic because statistics for Oz show that almost all fatal crashes involve drink drivers.

    Responsible service of alcohol employees need to understand the role they play in ensuring patrons do not drink and drive. Not serving too many drinks to the same person and stopping patrons from driving if you are aware that they are intoxicated or over the legal limit are part of a server’s responsibility, whether you are a waiter, bartender or sommelier. Any worker of a licenced venue as well as licensees need to undergo Responsible Service of Alcohol (RSA) training in order to understand their duties and RSA responsibilities.

    The fact that 30 per cent of all fatal drink drive crashes occur between 9 pm and 3 am on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights indicates that RSA staff need to be extra vigilant at these times, which could be a challenge because bars and pubs are usually most crowded around these times.

    RSA staff should assist patrons that are visibly intoxicated to call for transport home, whether it bea taxi, a friend or family member and encourage them not to drive. If necessary call the transport for them and do your part to keep our roads safe for all Australians.

     

  • Dangers of Drink Driving

    Nearly every day we hear of a drunk driver somewhere that caused an accident, sometimes a fatal one. What is it about alcohol and driving that makes it such a lethal combination. Most people feel absolutely fine after having a few drinks and surely should be able to drive safely? That is a common mistake that many drivers make, they think that because they feel fine, they will be able to drive. Unfortunately this is not the case because driving is a very complex task that requires correct decision-making and total concentration. Drinking alcohol relaxes the brain, slows the reflexes and makes it difficult to concentrate on driving.

    So how much can a person safely drink before driving?

    It is hard to tell because alcohol affects everyone differently. There is no absolute safe level of alcohol consumption but in Oz the legal limit is 0.05 BAC (blood alcohol concentration).So according to the law your BAC needs to be lower than 0.05.

    Why is this so important? Well alcohol is the leading cause of car crashes in Oz and according to research conducted, drivers who tested over this limit doubled their chances of causing a crash.

    The best option is to never take the chance of getting behind the wheel after drinking. Rather call a friend or family member to fetch you or take a taxi. It’s always a good idea to arrange your transport home before even going out and drinking.