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Thread: Drink driving and the NZ law

  1. #1
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    Default Drink driving and the NZ law

    Does anyone know what the legal limit is in NZ. OH and I have looked at this and the answer OH found seems too mad to be true.
    OH was told he could have 4 of these standard drink measures in the first hour (small bottle of beer) and then 1 per hr after that. As I said, that sounds like madness.
    Debbie

  2. #2

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    The legal blood alcohol limit is .08 (80 milligrams of alcohol for every 100mls of blood):
    http://www.ltsa.govt.nz/road-user-sa...sts/drink.html

    The limit is the same as in the UK and the US currently:
    http://www.driveandstayalive.com/art...BAC-limits.htm

    Brian

  3. #3
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    Default

    It is higher here than in UK, and I had heard that thing about 4 beers, and still be able to keep drinking too, like you say, utter madness.

    They did a trial on the news last year, they had a guy drink 3 beers, and he passed the test, he went off drank a couple more, and he failed.

    Here is the link for the NZ Law on the subject http://www.ltsa.govt.nz/road-user-sa...sts/drink.html

    On a side note, a friend of mines hubby has just started policing and he stopped a guy one night, he was over the limit, he stopped the same guy two nights later, yup, over the limit again, some people just don't learn.

  4. #4
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    A 'standard drink' is a specific quantity of ethanol - 10g. Most 'small bottles of beer' actually offer more than one standard drink; 1.2-1.5 is more typical.

    I'd be well within the legal limit with 2.5 bottles of Radler with a meal in the first hour, and less than one bottle for every additional hour. So it's not mad at all for me to do that, and no one else would have reason to fear me on the road afterwards.

    However, a small person with slow metabolism consuming the same amount of alcohol on an empty stomach would doubtless be over the limit, and in the overwhelming majority of cases would exercise judgment accordingly - by making the correct choice not to drive.

    The drink driving problem here is almost identical to the one in the USA; an entire nation is hectored by state propaganda about the evils of drink driving, and lives in fear of having half a glass too much Chardonnay with dinner, thus gaining a trip to jail. Meanwhile, there is a small number of people who GREATLY exceed the legal limit on a regular basis, endangering themselves and others. (Ironically, and tragically, being drunk reduces one's personal risk of injury in a car crash, compared to the sober people involved in the same crash.) I find the idea that the same person could be apprehended drunk twice in the same week really frightening, though; that means the system is broken. Is that socially acceptable in parts of NZ?

  5. #5
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    Default

    Phatsharpie, Thanks for those links, I was amazed to find out NZ and UK had the same limit. The perception of what you can safely drink here and then drive is a lot different from that in the UK.
    Thanks for clearing that up.
    Debbie

  6. #6
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    Nov 2006
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    Greytown RD1
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    Thumbs down alcohol limits

    ... should be zero ... why should it be 'acceptable' to risk the life of others and/or yourself ??

    as noted in other threads zero tolerance is the best approach, complete loss of license may show that the general consensus is that drink driving is not to be tolerated ...

    perception is not the issue (or perhaps it is mis-perception), stupidity/lack of responsibility is much more relevant ...

  7. #7
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    I heard on the local (Hauraki) radio today that a guy has just recieved his 9th DIC ( drunk in charge ) conviction in a 7 week period.
    His punishment....22 months jail and an 18 month driving ban. So, theoretically he will have finished his driving ban BEFORE leaving jail.

    Words fail me on this one!!

  8. #8
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    I am usually not in favour of zero tolerance approaches (being quite left inclined ) but for drink driving I think zero tolerance is the only way to go. Drinking impairs your judgement, end of.

    Personally I NEVER drink alcohol and drive, not even below the limit because should I be involved in an accident where I was driving and someone else was hurt I'd want to be certain for the rest of my life that I was fully responsive and not be left forever wondering whether I'd have been a better driver that day if I hadn't had a beer or glass of wine ...

    I refuse to be a passenger with anyone that's had a drink or allow my kids to.

    It's something I feel very stongly about. Alcohol is just a drink, why not just go without if you're driving and be sure you're at the best you can be to drive?


  9. #9
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    Quote Originally Posted by Lupin77 View Post
    I am usually not in favour of zero tolerance approaches (being quite left inclined ) but for drink driving I think zero tolerance is the only way to go. Drinking impairs your judgement, end of.

    Personally I NEVER drink alcohol and drive, not even below the limit because should I be involved in an accident where I was driving and someone else was hurt I'd want to be certain for the rest of my life that I was fully responsive and not be left forever wondering whether I'd have been a better driver that day if I hadn't had a beer or glass of wine ...

    I refuse to be a passenger with anyone that's had a drink or allow my kids to.

    It's something I feel very stongly about. Alcohol is just a drink, why not just go without if you're driving and be sure you're at the best you can be to drive?

    definately agree with you there lupin..

  10. #10
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    Aye favour the zero option too

    Ben

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