Modigliana

Perth locals intoxicated by all that sunshine?



DRINK-DRIVING penalties are failing and alternatives such as alcohol interlocks are needed to stop repeat offenders, Road Safety Minister Michelle Roberts said yesterday.

Mrs Roberts wants the interlocks, which attach a breathalyser to a vehicle to stop a drunk driver from starting their car, to be introduced in a bid to curb WA's high rate of recidivist offending.

"It is something we are serious about. I'd like to see it in place here," Mrs Roberts said at the third biannual State road safety forum in Fremantle.

Last year, 14,325 drink-driving charges were laid in WA, including about 4000 against repeat offenders.

bondipom

I work with way too many people who think drink driving is acceptable. The figures are no surprise. Personally I think an outright ban is the only option with community service for those ignoring the ban.

For repeat offenders I would make them become cleaners in casualty so they can witness the misery generated by car accidents.

downunderpom

20 lashes with a cat-o'-nine-tails in the public square would work as a deterrent.

bondipom

Where I lived in Oklahoma all driving offences were listed in the local newspaper along with the other crims.

downunderpom

I still prefer 20 lashes with a cat-o'-nine-tails in the public square.....

And no, there are no smilies with that. I've lost friends to drunk drivers, and would cheerfully hang the anti-social, irresponsible bastards up by the goolies.

bondipom

It would be satisfying to see and cheaper than long term prison but I doubt it would be a deterrant. Hanging doesn't stop Americans killing each other.

downunderpom

It stops some. The majority, even. Without the death penalty there would be more killing.

(That should stir up some responses!!)

bondipom

The only thing it stops is repeat offending. People do not commit crimes in relation to the penalty because they always assume they will not be caught.

Pollyana

Part of the problem with banning people for drink-driving, is that most of them - especially the serious offenders - will still drive. sadly, banning them has no effect at all.

A lot of serious offenders are alcoholics, or are verging on alcoholism; when they are drunk they cannot and will not see reason. If they want to drive then they will. I had a close friend who was an alcoholic; he used to drive when he was to drunk to walk to the car, and when he thought none of us were watching him. Eventually (after numerous tip-off phone calls) the police managed to pick him up, and the police guy said by rights he should have been dead because he was so drunk. They couldn't breathalyse him for 8 hours, and even then he was still .6 times the Aussie drink-drive limit. He finally got to court and was banned for a year (joke in itself). So what did he do? Went home, discovered he had run out of grog, so drove himself to the bottle shop.
If someone is determined to drive - or to drink - they will, a ban and a fine won't stop them. The only thing that would've stopped him would have been a prison sentence - and then he'd have been back to square one on his release.

bondipom

http://www.heraldsun.news.com.au/com...55E662,00.html

Pollyanna I totally agree with you. Prison just hardens criminal attitudes.