NSW Drink Driving & Traffic Offences

Who came up with this number anyway?

Well it will never increase in Australia so the purpose of that discussion is a complete waste of time.
If they decide to drop the limit we all know it will go to 0.02.

That basically means zero tolerance, leaving a tiny a margin for what would be basically accidental alcohol in your system.
Being able to drive after a couple of beers at the pub would go out the window.

I am sure there would be plenty of frustrated wives / girlfiends totally annoyed after having to pick up their other halves from the pub after just 1 beer.

But, reducing it to 0.02 in my opinion will encourage excess drinking because if you don't have to drive, there really is no limit.

In most other countries the limit is .08.

According to the NSW RTA road users handbook (2005) at .05 an average driver is about twice as likely to have an accident compared with someone with a zero blood alcohol reading.

At .08 the risk is 3.5 times higher than at zero
At .10 the risk is 7 times higher than at zero
At .15 the risk is 25 times higher than at zero

I dont know where they draw this conclusion from (hopefully from proven statistical data) but if true may be the reason why it is at .05. Does anyone know?

The Queensland Government recently floated the idea of reducing the general alcohol limit to 0.02%

Critics cited the absence of any studies that showed this would have any real effect on the road toll.

Whilst other changes were brought through by the ensuing legislation, this reduction was not adopted.

ddforum wrote:In most other countries the limit is .08.

Why does Australia always have to be such a nanny nation ??
.08 would be nice - you could have quite a few beverages at that limit.

Based on these stats I think Australia has it right.
Leave the 0.05 alone. 0.08 as the limit would be rediculous.

 .05 an average driver is about twice as likely to have accident than a driver at zero
At .08 the risk is 3.5 times higher than at zero
At .10 the risk is 7 times higher than at zero
At .15 the risk is 25 times higher than at zero