The_Wookie

Now this isn't a 'knock Australia' thread, so please lets not go down that road! hehe.

I was wondering if anyone has noticed that people seem much more ready to drink drive here (Perth) than in the UK, in my experience.

There's been a few times when on a Friday afternoon people in the office have suggested a pub trip after work. I go over and will only drink Coke, but everyone else, and I mean everyone, will knock back the booze. Not just 1 or maybe 2 either.

I've said on a number of occasions that they're out of order etc, but I quickly get shouted down by people telling me 'They know what they're doing' and 'They're fine'. When it's pretty clear by their behaviour they're not.

It's not just work either, when socialising at a dinner party for example people who are driving will think nothing of knocking back beer or wine.

I read this morning that 25% of drivers surveyed in WA have admitted to driving while over the limit. I don't know how many people were surveyed, but that's a pretty outrageous percentage.

Oh and if anyone wants to see the result of said drinking/driving, drive down the Mitchell Freeway on a Friday afternoon. But just watch out for the swerving UTEs and vans.....

Bernieboy

No problem with drink drivers........as long as the dumb farks only kill themselves,good riddance i say

Officer Dibble

Yep. Was at the rugby finals this weekend and a lot of players were drowning their sorrows or celevrating wins before packing up and heading off in their cars and I have no doubt that many were over the limit.

Just goes to show that the threat of loss of license, death by stoning etc; is no deterrent. Deffo seems to be a 'she'll be right mate' attitude.

The_Wookie

But invariably it isn't themselves who get killed.

Bernieboy

Sadly that is true,i have seen the evidence myself

hoofie2002

I get the piss taken out of me in the office because I won't have one drink at 4pm on a Friday or go out for a pint at lunchtime purely because I have to drive home from work. [Maybe it's just me but I don't want to have a beer and drive no matter what the booze limit is]

Screw them, I want to get home alive and with my licence intact but I'm surprised that a bunch of [supposedly] rather intelligent people can think like that.

The_Wookie

Yup. Same happens to me when I say I'm only drinking soft drinks.

ABCDiamond

And yet in 2008 alone, there were 1.13 million breath tests conducted just in Melbourne, with 3.7 million residents. Twice as many tests as in the entire UK with it's 60 million people.

The_Wookie

What's your point?

Officer Dibble

Dare I say it but a lot of pubs are within walking distance in UK so thats one problem solved.

jimbo_d

Drink driving is a bad ingrained cultural thing in Oz, mostly because pubs and just about everything is so far away from your house, not like popping down your local boozer in England round the corner. There are far fewer drinking establishments here too so one has to travel far again for a drin, and unless you're in the middle of a city there's little public transport after 2am. Not an excuse mind you.

The police and law are very proactive about trying to stop it here, lower drink drive limits, more breath testing, booze buses etc

Officer Dibble

Lost count of the amount of times Ive seen on current affairs shows about people losing their licenses but continuing to drive anyway.

The_Wookie

I'm certainly not denying that authorities here are very proactive about trying to stop it. But the fact remains that the average person thinks nothing of getting behind the wheel of a car while over the limit.

As you say, it is an ingrained culture thing. It just shocks me how widespread it is.

ABCDiamond

My point was "and yet there were 1.13 million breath tests conducted just in Melbourne, with 3.7 million residents. Twice as many tests as in the entire UK with it's 60 million people." followed by a sign...

MartinLuther

Just a different style. Here it tends to be blanket testing (carpet testing? ) whereas in the UK it tends to be targeted. If you look at the stats the number of failures in the UK is much higher than here but it doesn't mean that DD is more prevalent in the UK.

As for the OP. I think DD is more prevalent here. It is similar to the US. Not sure if that's because of the higher reliance on cars or because the UK campaign has been more successful at winning hearts and minds.

The DD limit is lower here though.