Stern penalties ‘will not solve’ drinking and driving problem

Press, 26 June 1978, Page 13

Stern penalties ‘will not solve’ drinking and driving problem

PA Wellington Stern penalties and a lower bi >od-alcoho! limit would not: solve New Zealand's drinking and driving problem, said the executive director of the 1 National Society on Alcohol--ism and Drug Dependence (Mr R. Johnstone). The problem would not be solved until there was a ■'major change in society’s; attitude to drinking.” Proposed “get tough” legislation was ‘‘seen as neces-i sarv but not necessarily J effective,” he said. “The measures are being demanded by the communitv; but nothing will really be; achieved.” said Mr Johnstone.! The Government plans to introduce legislation to lower■ the blood-alcohol limit from* 100 milligrams to 80 milli * grams and more than double? most drinking and driving ' penalties. ! < Motorists guilty of driving with excessive amounts of I alcohol in their blood wil)| face fines of up to $lOOO in-' 1 stead of the present $4OO fine.! 1 Similar boosts in fines 1 will apply to the offences of 1 driving under the influence ’ of alcohol and refusing to! supply a blood sample. i; The penalty for causing;] death or injury while driving | (

i with an excess blood-alcohol count or whileu nder the influence of alcohol will rise from $2OOO to $3OOO. Mr Johnstone said the drinking and driving prob- ' lent had got out of all perspective “because every one who wants to hit a headline I has an easy solution.” He criticised public "hysteria” but agreed there j was need for concern, and i advocated that drinking drivers who were found to have an alcohol or drugdependence problem should; ibe put in a treatment situ-! lation after their conviction.: But the root of the prob-; ; lem laid with society’s atti|tude to drink, he said. Ran-! dom testing has only a short-; term effect and blood-alcohol (levels achieved nothing. i I “A blood-alcohol level that! renders an inexperienced drinker or inexperienced l driver incompetent will not render incompetent an ex-1 perienced driver,” he said. I Mr Johnstone was also concerned about present tests | on drivers being unable to! detect a motorist’s consumption of prescription drugs or marijuana. ■ A person with a low blood- 1 alcohol count might be com- < pletely unable to drive be- ' cause he was full of vaiium. i