Government backs legal drunk driving

Government backs legal drunk driving

"The Prime Minister and Transport Minister Steven Joyce need to explain to the country, why they are prepared to sacrifice up to 33 lives and $238 million dollars in social costs each year by their delay in reducing the blood alcohol limit for driving" says University of Otago’s Professor Jennie Connor.

Papers released under the Official Information Act show the Government was told that lowering the blood alcohol limit was the best action it could take to cut the number of people killed and injured by drunk drivers.

"The fact that the Government is prepared to ignore 300 international studies, the experience of the majority of developed countries including Australia, and the advice of their own Ministry of Transport is staggering. It shows a callus disregard for victims of drink driving, and a general lack of resolve to comes to terms with New Zealand's drinking culture," says Professor Connor.

“40% of the injuries from drunk driving involve people other than the affected driver.”

A clue to the Government’s reluctance comes from recently revealed internal documents of the alcohol industry where lowering the blood alcohol level for driving is listed as one of the main fears the industry has about changing social policy on alcohol.

“The alcohol industry knows better than anyone else just how important the heavy drinking culture is for business and therefore the need for people to be able to drink a lot socially and still be legally able to drive their cars home” says Professor Doug Sellman, Director of the National Addiction Centre.

“A standard scientific definition of intoxication is 50mg alcohol in 100mls of blood (0.05), which means the current adult alcohol limit in New Zealand of 0.08 is legalised drunk driving.”

“The Government needs to be upfront about the reasons why it continues to back drunk driving.”

ENDS

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