MEDIA RELEASE

Lower blood alcohol will save lives
Friday 11 September 2009

Alcohol Healthwatch agrees with Transport Minister Steven Joyce that the current blood alcohol limit is far too high.

Director Rebecca Williams says lowering the current level of 80mg alc/100ml blood to at least 50mg/100ml will safe lives and reduce the risk of injury on our roads.

She says that since our current legal alcohol limit for driving was established we have learnt that important driving skills are significantly impaired at this level.

“New Zealand has achieved impressive reductions in alcohol-related road deaths thanks to compulsory breath testing, strong enforcement, hard-hitting advertising and community education and engagement programmes.

“However, what stands out is our high blood alcohol limit and this may be a reason why further reductions of our road toll have stalled.

“We need to introduce new measures, and the most cost effective of these is to lower the blood alcohol limit.”

Following recent reports of funding cuts to community road safety programmes Williams adds that any cuts to these programmes would be a travesty. 

“They are an essential ingredient to achieving change, as community awareness and support for the measures are key to their ongoing success.”

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