Poll shows support for lowering drink drive levels for adult drivers

A Motor Trade Association (MTA) poll showing most people wanted the Government to lower the drink drive limit for adult drivers should be listened to, says the Alcohol Advisory Council (ALAC).

Early in March the Government announced a number of transport initiatives including a zero alcohol limit for drivers under 20 but is yet to make a decision on reducing the blood alcohol level for adult drivers. This will be considered by Cabinet in April along with another option for further research.

ALAC Chief Executive Officer Gerard Vaughan said the majority of people who were polled supported lowering the adult BAC level from 0.08 (80mg alcohol/100ml of blood) to 0.05mg.

“The current BAC of 0.08 allows people to become significantly impaired and still legally drive,” he said. “It allows a man of average height and weight to consume six standard drinks within 90 minutes. That’s most of a bottle of wine. For a woman it allows four standard drinks to be consumed.”
Mr Vaughan said the Ministry of Transport estimated that lowering the adult drink drive limit could save between 15 and 30 lives and prevent between 320 and 686 injuries each year. This would be an annual social cost saving of between $111 million and $238 million.

The current BAC of 0.08 for adult drivers was set in 1978, he said. Since then New Zealand and international research had consistently demonstrated the benefits associated with BAC levels of 0.05, or lower, in saving lives and preventing serious injuries.

Mr Vaughan said other countries that dropped the BAC from 0.08 to 0.05 saw reductions in crashes. In Australia, New South Wales achieved an eight percent reduction in fatal crashes and a seven percent reduction in serious injury crashes; Queensland achieved an 18 percent reduction in fatal crashes and a 14 percent reduction in serious crashes; Belgium achieved a 10 percent reduction in all alcohol-related fatalities; and France achieved a 30 percent reduction in alcohol related fatal crashes.


The poll released yesterday showed half of the 500 respondents said that the limit should be decreased for all drivers over 20, while 30 percent said the limit should remain the same and the Government should look at increasing penalties, and 20 percent said they weren't sure.

Mr Vaughan said The Ministry of Transport’s Public Attitudes to Road Safety Survey in 2009 asked ‘How many standard drinks should a man/woman be allowed to have in an hour if they are planning to drive immediately afterwards?’

“Some 85 percent of people surveyed said drivers should be limited to two or fewer drinks before driving which would fit with a BAC level of 0.05.”