Lower Alcohol Level Forecast

Press, Volume CIX, Issue 32215, 6 February 1970, Page 22

Lower Alcohol Level Forecast

• (N Z. Press Association) i AUCKLAND, Feb. 5. It was almost inevit-l able that most countries would tend to lower the permissible level of alcohol in the blood as toad and traffic conditions grew worse, the * Government analyst with the D.S.I.R. in Auckland (Mr O. H. Keys) said today.

Mr Keys said the level set was an administrative or ) political decision. What was significant was not the quan-* I’tity of alcohol consumed but the amount of the drug bath-' I ing the brain.

I At least 15 years ago most: authorities were agreed that! at some point a person’s drivel ling faculties were sufficient-] ly impaired to need some pen-i alty, he said. This point was rather arbitary and it fell in a region where it was hard to be scientifically dogmatic. Some people could drink; more but get rid of the alcohol faster or absorb it more slowly and have much the I same blood-alcohol level as somebody else who had con-i sumed less. “The rate of increase or decrease in the blood level will! , vary from person to person I land depends on the circum-i i stances,” Mr Keys said. But! !people with about the same! I blood-alcohol content level;

would perform in much the same way while driving. The president of the Auckland Automobile Association (Sir J. B. Horrocks), said his association would' look very carefully at any question of lowering the level.. However, the effect of breath-test legislation to date had been disappointing, he said. “We felt that when the 100 milligram level was introduced it was justified in New Zealand because it was a new piece of legislation and a new restriction.” he said. Lower limits were used in most countries overseas. In Britain and the majority of the Australian states it was 80 milligrams. In Victoria it was 50 milligrams per 100 millilitres, but this was unrealistic.

Results of the introduction of the present limit had been disappointing as far as the road toll figures were concerned and it was recognised that drink was a factor in a large number of road accidents. If the lower limit would be] in the interests of road safety i and have an appreciable beneficial effect on the road toll figures the association would probably support it. “On the face, of it there is a case for lowering the limit,” he said. The association considered the present penalties ade-i quate, he said. It would nol like to see them changed. Any alterations made to the legislation should be made as a whole, rather than i piecemeal. 1