In the United Kingdom, driving or attempting to drive above the legal limit of 0.08% blood alcohol in England, Wales and Northern Ireland and 0.05% blood alcohol in Scotland or unfit for alcohol is punishable by a maximum penalty of six months, a fine of up to £5,000 and a ban of at least twelve months. For a second offence committed within ten years of conviction, the minimum penalty is three years. Driving a vehicle above the legal limit or unfit for use can result in three months` imprisonment plus a fine of up to £2,500 and a driving ban. Causing death by reckless driving under the influence of alcohol or other drugs is punishable by up to fourteen years` imprisonment, a driving ban of at least two years, and the requirement to pass an extended driving test before the offender can drive legally again. Some states also include lower fees for driving with a blood alcohol level of 0.05%; Other states limit this offense to drivers under the age of 21. All states and DC now also have zero-tolerance laws: the driver`s license of people under 21 who drive with detectable alcohol in their blood (blood alcohol limits of 0.01% or 0.02% apply in some states like Florida.) will be suspended. In 2009, Puerto Rico joined these states and set a limit of 0.02 for drivers under 21, although a legal drinking age of 18 was maintained. [15] The 1. In December 2014, New Zealand lowered its legal blood alcohol limit for driving from 0.08% to 0.05%.

The previous limit, which is ridiculously high by global standards, meant drinkers could be reasonably relaxed when driving when it came to complying with the law. The new limit, on the other hand, has led to a rather cautious change. The New Zealand approved Highway Code is designed to help you become a responsible driver. The Highway Code section provides an easy-to-understand introduction to New Zealand traffic laws and safe driving practices. In your theoretical and practical driving tests, you will be evaluated on the basis of this material. It covers the legal obligations of car owners as well as the legal blood alcohol limit. We should also note that “Know Your Limit” is not a cynical attempt by the industry to get as many people as possible to drink as much as possible. The campaign posters and coasters make it clear that HNZ does not recommend drinking and driving. In addition, the recommendations are on the right side. The vast majority of car accidents resulting in death and serious injury are due to a blood alcohol level much higher than 0.05.

The legal blood alcohol limit for drivers under the age of 20 is a blood alcohol level of zero. The Criminal Law Amendment Act 1968-69 made it illegal to drive with a blood alcohol level above 80 mg/100 ml of blood. The refusal of a police officer`s request to give a breath sample was simultaneously declared a criminal offence, and both began as summary conviction offences punishable by a maximum penalty of $5,000 and imprisonment for up to six months. [7] In New Zealand, the legal limit is 50 mg per 100 ml of blood (equivalent to 250 mcg of alcohol per litre of breath). Even if you`re just over the limit, you`re a drunk driver and a criminal in the eyes of the law – there`s no grey area. Drunk driving is a significant problem in New Zealand. The Ministry of Transportation says about 30 percent of fatal traffic crashes are alcohol-related, and those crashes have resulted in about 1,100 deaths and 5,300 serious injuries over the past decade. (Land Transport Amendment Act (No.

2) 2014 Questions and Answers, Ministry of Transportation (last updated December 4, 2014).) A 2012 survey found that around 60% of New Zealanders supported lowering the legal drinking and driving limit. (Ibid.) In 2013, the World Health Organization reported that 89 countries had included the recommended blood alcohol level of 0.05% for adults in their drinking and driving laws. (Ibid.) This kind of fear campaign only promotes public ignorance on how to respect the law and casts blame and fear on people who enjoy their legal freedoms. The role of the NZTA and the police is not to make moral judgments or to disseminate guidelines that contradict what our Parliament has deemed right. They are there to enforce the laws and catch those who break them. There is nothing confusing about that. Parliament is responsible for setting the legal limit at 0.05. The most logical agency to explain this to us in a way that the average person can relate to is a crown dedicated to health (like the Health Promotion Agency) or science (like ESR). In fact, ESR has had impaired driving policies since 2013, but hasn`t done a great job of making them available to the public.

And, of course, there is personal responsibility. It`s my job to make sure the amount I drink keeps me under the limit, rather than “just having a pair,” as Bruce Robertson suggests, and then hoping for the best.