No excuse not to lower blood alcohol limit in NZ

No excuse not to lower blood alcohol limit in NZ

New research suggests cutting the drink-drive limit for motorists will prevent road deaths and injuries.

A recent report by Britain’s National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) shows that someone’s ability to drive is affected if they have any alcohol at all in their blood.

Drivers with a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) between 0.02 and 0.05, which is equivalent to around one to two standard drinks, have at least a three times greater risk of dying in a vehicle crash. This risk increases to at least six times greater for a driver with a BAC between 0.05 and 0.08.

Both New Zealand and Britain currently have some of the highest legal adult BAC levels in the world at 80mg of alcohol per 100ml of blood (0.08).

The New Zealand Government is yet to announce its decision about whether to lower the Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC) for adult drivers from the current 0.08 to 0.05, but Alcohol Healthwatch Director Rebecca Williams says there is now no excuse not to lower the adult limit to 0.05.

“The research carried out on this issue is irrefutable. The NICE study is the latest of nearly 300 studies to overwhelmingly conclude that essential driving skills are significantly impaired at our current legal limit of 0.08, and that impairment has already begun at the 0.05 level.”

She says the Government can no longer use lack of public support as an excuse not to act.

“The Ministry of Transport Public Attitudes to Road Safety Survey (2009) shows that a powerful 85 percent of drivers believe they should be limited to two drinks or fewer before driving, which closely equates to the 0.05 limit.

“In addition, a recent online UMR public opinion survey this year found 70 percent of New Zealanders supported lowering the limit to 0.05.”

The NICE survey also stated that there is sufficiently strong evidence to indicate that lowering the BAC limit changes the drink-drive behaviour of drivers at all BAC levels.

Ms Williams says the Government’s agreement to adopt a zero tolerance for drivers under 20 years of age is a step in the right direction, however continuing to allow adults to legally drive drunk at the 0.08 limit will send a conflicting message to our young people about drinking and driving.

“Lowering the BAC to 0.05 is one of the most successful and cost effective ways to reduce New Zealand’s road toll.

“We can expect to saving around 14 lives and preventing 640 injuries every year by adopting the lower adult limit.”

ENDS

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