Think the cost of a beer at a pub is high? Consider the cost of having too many, and then trying to drive home.
Alcohol is a factor in a huge 30% of New Zealand’s fatal road crashes. $446 million is the social cost of these alcohol-related accidents. Over the last 10 years, we’ve lost around 1,100 people due to crashes directly caused by drink drivers. And it’s worth remembering that for every 100 alcohol or drug-impaired drivers or riders who die in road crashes, 47 of their passengers and 16 sober road users die with them.
So as of Monday 1st December, 2014, the amount of alcohol you’ll be able to have and still legally drive, will be quite a bit lower. From 1 December 2014 the alcohol limit for drivers aged 20 years and over lowers from 400mcg of alcohol per litre of breath to 250mcg. The blood alcohol limit lowers from 80mg of alcohol per 100ml of blood (0.08), to 50mg (0.05).
This is in line with the World Health Organization’s recommended adult drink-driving limit of 50mg (0.05) or less. In 2013, 89 countries (65% of the world’s population) had adopted this recommendation, and research continues to pour in showing it’s a great move. Above 50mg, the risk of a crash increases dramatically. There is endless evidence showing that the lower the limit, the less incidents there are.
For anyone under 20 years old in New Zealand, it’s still a no tolerance rule of zero alcohol at all when driving. There’s good evidence that that’s been a good move too: based on a year's worth of data, since the zero alcohol limit for drivers under the age of 20 years was introduced in August 2011, there has been a 44 percent decrease in road fatalities for 15-19 year olds. This isn’t entirely due to the zero alcohol limits, but there has also been drastic decreases in the number of offences by under 20s who have alcohol present in their blood.
Our Head of Research, Dr Robert Isler, feels strongly that the new adult limit is the right way to go. “It’s been a long time coming” he said, “and to be honest, it could go ever lower”. Countries like Japan and Poland already have a 0.
3 limit, and Norway, Russia and Sweden have essentially a no-tolerance limit of 0.2. “New Zealand drivers are not different to the rest of the world, and we should be following best practice recommendations to keep Kiwis safe”. Plain and simple, the more alcohol drivers consume before they get behind the wheel, the less safe they are.
Dr Isler thinks it’s a positive sign that most New Zealanders agree with the rule change, with 60% of us favouring a lower limit.
Fleetcoach wants to remind all drivers that it’s important to remember that there is no ‘safe’ level of alcohol for driving, and the best advice will always be to keep things simple and avoid any doubt by making the choice not to drive if you are going to drink. Call a taxi, take a bus or get someone who hasn’t been drinking to drive you home.
If you’re keen to know more about how to keep your employees safe on the roads, contact us for a chat.
References:
Ministry of Transport summary of law changes
Ministry of Transport’s Public Attitudes to Road Safety Survey
World Health Organisation’s Global Status Report on Road Safety
