My neighbour here on the Sunny coast lost his licence despite him needing it for work for DD.. he had too many beers, took out the car and wham, was caught.. he knows that it serves him right too..

Personally if I am driving I can't be bothered to have even one glass normally.. unless I can carry right on, I usually don't bother!

I am pretty lucky.. our rental is central to shops etc.. so I can have a wine or 3 and then get myself home by foot (or as good as!)

Em x

I think this bit from the SA gov website might explain about why some lose the licence and others don't.

Note no mention of the first offence under 0.08...

It is an offence to drive over 0.05, but not a compulsory loss of licence, for first offenders, although it may happen, as well as a fine.

0.08 is the UK drink limit.

Australia appears to have an extra penalty area between 0.05 and 0.08, while the UK considers it safe to drive at that drink level.

Many Australians, by the sounds of all this, appear to agree with the UK system.

What with deterrents like this it's hardly surprising it's rife


Police are now considering the future of a Maroochydore constable who pleaded guilty on Tuesday to driving with almost five times over the legal blood alcohol limit.
Joshua Douglas Compton, 30, was fined $1400 and disqualified for nine months when he faced Maroochydore Magistrates Court for having a 0.235 per cent BAC on the Sunshine Motorway at Marcoola around 1am on July 19.
Mr Compton, who was sworn into the police force in late 2006, was driving home from a mate's place when police saw him veer towards the incorrect side of the road.
Guideline sanctions for Queensland officers convicted of drink-driving, released in July, suggest he would be subjected to a demotion for driving with a blood alcohol content of more than 0.15% in a private vehicle while off duty.
Police say the constable's fate is now in the hands of the Ethical Standards Command.
Police said they could not comment while the internal investigation was under way.
Lawyer Adrian Braithwaite, from Gilshenan and Luton, made written submissions to the court and submitted references.
The document said Mr Compton was a surf lifesaver, was involved in Aboriginal dance productions in his teens, and had been an Aboriginal community liaison officer in NSW.
Mr Compton estimated he had had about 10 beers.
The document said he was "deeply ashamed of his decision-making" to drive "the short distance" home.
"As a result of the matter before the court, he has presently stood down from operational duties," it read.
"As a result of his conviction before the court he will face internal disciplinary proceedings for misconduct.
"Having regard to (police) guidelines, it will follow that... ramifications will be severe."
Magistrate John Parker said personal tragedies and family problems Mr Compton was suffering did not excuse his behaviour.
"I'm satisfied from what I've read that you are a man of good character other than having fallen into this situation," he said.
"You have a very good background. You have contributed greatly to surf lifesaving, other sports and Aboriginal culture.
"At the time this driving took place, you had suffered a number of personal tragedies in your life and problems in your family.
"It does not excuse it but does help explain.
"It is a high reading. You had no right to drive a vehicle with that amount of alcohol in your blood."
Friends and colleagues talked in references about Mr Compton mentoring indigenous youths and how he felt he had let down Queensland Police Service and the Aboriginal community.
"I have personally witnessed the rapport he has developed with local youth and his effortless ability to communicate with people from all backgrounds, ages and social standings," one colleague said.
A fellow police officer and friend said in a reference that Mr Compton "was extremely embarrassed and remorseful for his actions".

One of the reasons I left my job at Maccas(yes,yes I know.....but it was a case of anything to get a foot on the job ladder) was because the maddening amount of stoned/drunk people who were barely able to sit upright coming through. I quietly reported a fair few...but as people say nothing was thought wrong of it and when I suggested I might report these drivers it was considered very 'unaustralian' and 'why would you bother' kind of attitude *sigh*

It makes me quite mad and quite frankly scared when I think of my Husband(not to mention me and the kids) out there on the roads with these people each day.......but they just don't seem to get it and it is very normal to drink and drive. You will often see people swigging from beer bottles or 'mixer' cans whilst driving, especially on a Friday arvo.

Controvertial/Sweeping generalisationist as it may be I feel it goes hand in hand with the low IQ/ Convict genes.....

Jan (takes cover with tin hat firmly on head)

The biggest difference for me is the way the ban is often for a short while and not for what, a year, like in the UK.

Would not say the culture of drink driving is any greater in my experience. Noone I work with pays lip service or jokes about it.

People will drink a light beer though - and I don't have an issue with people cannily working out their personal limit providing they are sensible. If you drank a half in the UK you'd be labelled a poof.

you must work with different "average" people to me.

Yeah maybe. Weird how other people have experienced the same thing though eh?

Do you know it is not Illeagle , to drive in south Australia or victoria with an alcholic beverage in your hand, or consuming same.
The offence occurs when you exceed the legal [.o5] limit, so you are quite ok if you call into the bottolo and grab a "Roadie" for the trip home.........mm

We visited Perth on a recci last October & on two separate occasions both me & my OH were stopped & had breath tests One on a Sunday afternoon the other evening time.... I really didnt mind as we hadn't had anything to drink nor would I ever drink & drive I have been driving over 20 years here in the UK & NEVER been stopped for random breath testing!
Trouble with people who drink & drive is that they never kill themselves its always some innocent bystander & I know this from experience, twice infact

Radio woke me up this morning with a story about a lady who was about to get in her car in the pub carpark and she was 8 times over the limit !


I mean, wtf?

Em x

With regards to the light penalties vis a vis the UK. I guess what people are talking about are the penalties doled out if you are caught between the new limit and the old limit (which is the same of similar to the current UK limit). So the equivalent in the UK is that there is no offense and no penalty at these levels. I suspect that when Australia lowered the limits they brought in these less onerous penalties to sweeten the pill and for pragmatic reasons. The above .08 (.07) penalties are not out of line with what you would get in the UK.

As an aside, does anyone know if the NT still has a .08 limit?

I remember many times having to sit in the car outside pubs when I was younger with a packet of crisps and a cola. Me and my brothers would be waiting for Mum and Dad while they 'had a few' or a couple of 'liveners' to come out and drive us home! I would say it is now generally culturally unacceptable to drink drive in the UK and is certainly not seen as a 'cool' thing to do which it was when I was a teenager. There are still arses who do it of course but I know that neither me nor my friends would consider doing it. What a change a generation can make.

One reason that there are so many more tests here is the simplicity of it for the police - in UK there has to be special orders made for random testing, otherwise a 'just cause' is required. Also for every test in the uk there is a significantly higher burden of paperwork. Here it takes just seconds to stop test and wave on a pssed driver. In UK it'll be a 10 min process...

ABC - any idea of % of failures by poplulation comparison, rather than by tests conducted

Same as the UK. I got stopped with a bottle of whisky in my lap, no problem to the police 'after' they tested me