Blood Tests For Drivers
Sir, —The issue is simple. Alcohol impairs driving ability, and an accurate test enables the setting of an arbitrary blood level which is fair to all. 1 think the Minister of Transport was rightly concerned that the tests must be accurate, and that no degrees of intoxication or inability to drive must be inferred. As with the age of consent and suffrage, no physiological or psychological inferences should be made, and the proposed level is high enough to eliminate “near misses” and hard luck from consideration. Exceeding the proposed level should be a completely separate offence, and lower levels should not be evidence in mitigation of other offences. By the way, alcohol does not increase physiological reaction times, but can impair alertness through drowsiness and distractability. A psychological marvel could remain alert with high levels of alcohol in the blood, but would still be a risk.—Yours, etc., VARIAN J. WILSON. December 6, 1966.
Permanent link to this item
https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/CHP19661208.2.128.2
Bibliographic details
Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31237, 8 December 1966, Page 20
Word Count
157Blood Tests For Drivers Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31237, 8 December 1966, Page 20
Using This Item
Stuff Ltd is the copyright owner for the Press. You can reproduce in-copyright material from this newspaper for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons BY-NC-SA 3.0 New Zealand licence. This newspaper is not available for commercial use without the consent of Stuff Ltd. For advice on reproduction of out-of-copyright material from this newspaper, please refer to the Copyright guide.
Acknowledgements
This newspaper was digitised in partnership with Christchurch City Libraries.