Drink Driving
Oct 13th 2009, 4:53 pm
#16
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Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 3,821
Re: Drink Driving
I don't actually think that it has anything to do with your employer.. however, I have no problem with work places enforcing that policy because there is no room for drunken drivers in our society, end of...
Saying that, wouldnt you know when you took the job? IE its your choice to work for someone who has that policy... ? and of course, be it on your own head (rather than someone elses life) if you choose to drive home pissed and therefore lose your job..
Em x
Saying that, wouldnt you know when you took the job? IE its your choice to work for someone who has that policy... ? and of course, be it on your own head (rather than someone elses life) if you choose to drive home pissed and therefore lose your job..
Em x
Oct 13th 2009, 4:58 pm
#17
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 23,400
Re: Drink Driving
The amount of times I have heard the same sob story 'Oh but transport is crap, I have no choice but to drink drive' and even the little gem 'It is OK if you can control it'
Mr PP saw a car on the opposite side of the road with 4 girls in it, they were obviously intoxicated, the car was swerving all over the road and nearly mounted the grass verge with the driver waving a can of beer out of the window.
The penalties here are not harsh enough for D/D.
Mr PP saw a car on the opposite side of the road with 4 girls in it, they were obviously intoxicated, the car was swerving all over the road and nearly mounted the grass verge with the driver waving a can of beer out of the window.
The penalties here are not harsh enough for D/D.
Oct 13th 2009, 5:09 pm
#18
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Joined: Jul 2008
Location: Canada->WA->Melbourne
Posts: 1,612
Re: Drink Driving
The amount of times I have heard the same sob story 'Oh but transport is crap, I have no choice but to drink drive' and even the little gem 'It is OK if you can control it'
Mr PP saw a car on the opposite side of the road with 4 girls in it, they were obviously intoxicated, the car was swerving all over the road and nearly mounted the grass verge with the driver waving a can of beer out of the window.
The penalties here are not harsh enough for D/D.
Mr PP saw a car on the opposite side of the road with 4 girls in it, they were obviously intoxicated, the car was swerving all over the road and nearly mounted the grass verge with the driver waving a can of beer out of the window.
The penalties here are not harsh enough for D/D.
As for the drunk driving/sacked issue...I don't see what the big debate is. If you know that 1) you NEED a licence to be able to work and that it is a requirement of your job/insurance/conditions of employment and 2) you CHOOSE to drink and drive anyway (no one pouring the beer down your throat, no one holding a weapon to your head to tell you to drive), then 3) you have to live with the consequences of your actions as we all do. Why be crying about the repercussions if they were your choices that led to them? The drunk driving here is just shocking. What, people have never heard of designated drivers? Taxis?
Oct 13th 2009, 5:13 pm
#19
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Joined: Jun 2007
Location: Melbourne
Posts: 10,994
Re: Drink Driving
Talking of drink driving....the Herald Sun ran a story at the weekend regarding lowering the limit to 0.02...which effectively means you might as well make it 0.00.
http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/cal...-1225785344271
That would be less than half the current limit...and 4 times the UK limit.
http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/cal...-1225785344271
That would be less than half the current limit...and 4 times the UK limit.
Oct 13th 2009, 5:22 pm
#20
Recession Surfing 2006 ->
Joined: Sep 2007
Location: Northern Edge of Melbourne
Posts: 1,254
Re: Drink Driving
Talking of drink driving....the Herald Sun ran a story at the weekend regarding lowering the limit to 0.02...which effectively means you might as well make it 0.00.
http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/cal...-1225785344271
That would be less than half the current limit...and 4 times the UK limit.
http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/cal...-1225785344271
That would be less than half the current limit...and 4 times the UK limit.
The figure quoted
New figures reveal 39 Victorians have been killed in accidents involving drivers with blood alcohol levels under .05 in the past five years.
Those drivers could have all been wearing shades, it does not mean a lowering of the limit is needed. The figure does not have any correlation unless its states that those drivers all made errors of judgement caused by decreased responses.
Besides if you are below .05 chances are the radio in the car is affecting you as much.
However if you are ever in any doubt the best advice is still to not drink at all when you are driving or intending to.
Does anyone know how long after 4 strandard beers on a standard size male drunk between 21.00 and 23.00 would get them to 00.02. So at what time under this proposal could they drive legally?
Oct 13th 2009, 5:32 pm
#21
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Joined: Jun 2007
Location: Melbourne
Posts: 10,994
Re: Drink Driving
Talking of drink driving....the Herald Sun ran a story at the weekend regarding lowering the limit to 0.02...which effectively means you might as well make it 0.00.
http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/cal...-1225785344271
That would be less than half the current limit...and 4 times the UK limit.
http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/cal...-1225785344271
That would be less than half the current limit...and 4 times the UK limit.
Oct 13th 2009, 5:42 pm
#22
...giving optimism a go?!
Joined: Jun 2007
Location: Brisbane (leafy, hilly western suburbs)
Posts: 2,202
Re: Drink Driving
How about this as a long term proposal:
All new cars/bikes to be fitted with breathalyser dependent keys.
This has (ultimately) a greater effect than any modification of the limit.
As far as I can see most drink drive offences are caused by peoples inability to judge the lnegth of time to sober-up. The reality is that at 0.05 there is virtually no ill-effects due to alcohol. Its far to easy to have a night out and be over the limit WITHOUT KNOWING in the morning.
By giving everyone breathalysier keys you remove the unknowing drunk driver, you reduce the need to run expensive RBT operations, you completely remove the social defence of "I had no idea" - and make it very hard to drunk drive by accident.
Furthermore the 'determined' drunk driver might find a way of bypassing this technology. In which case they dont even need to be drunk to fall foul of the law since any speeding infringement might result in an inpromptu vehicle inspection and a non-compliance notice for their illegally modified vehicle.
The downside of this plan? In QLD it'd take about 30 years before all the old clapped out bangers have been replaced by newer vehicles with the technology.
Cost of such a key? Surely it cant be much - a breathalyser keyring can be purchased for around $100 so getting a more accurate device and intergrating it into the ignitiion system shouldnt be too hard compared with the cost of a vehicle.
All new cars/bikes to be fitted with breathalyser dependent keys.
This has (ultimately) a greater effect than any modification of the limit.
As far as I can see most drink drive offences are caused by peoples inability to judge the lnegth of time to sober-up. The reality is that at 0.05 there is virtually no ill-effects due to alcohol. Its far to easy to have a night out and be over the limit WITHOUT KNOWING in the morning.
By giving everyone breathalysier keys you remove the unknowing drunk driver, you reduce the need to run expensive RBT operations, you completely remove the social defence of "I had no idea" - and make it very hard to drunk drive by accident.
Furthermore the 'determined' drunk driver might find a way of bypassing this technology. In which case they dont even need to be drunk to fall foul of the law since any speeding infringement might result in an inpromptu vehicle inspection and a non-compliance notice for their illegally modified vehicle.
The downside of this plan? In QLD it'd take about 30 years before all the old clapped out bangers have been replaced by newer vehicles with the technology.
Cost of such a key? Surely it cant be much - a breathalyser keyring can be purchased for around $100 so getting a more accurate device and intergrating it into the ignitiion system shouldnt be too hard compared with the cost of a vehicle.
Oct 13th 2009, 5:46 pm
#23
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Joined: Jun 2007
Location: Melbourne
Posts: 10,994
Re: Drink Driving
...like getting someone else to breathe into it. Or squeezing a bag of fresh air into the mouthpiece! I think someone needs to be there to administer a breath test to ensure it's done properly.
Oct 13th 2009, 6:39 pm
#24
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 23,400
Re: Drink Driving
I saw 4 young guys (including the driver) drinking beer in the car parked at the shopping centre parking lot, middle of the afternoon. I've never seen that back in Canada...guess I've been living a sheltered life or all our drunks wait until nightfall to swill beer in the car in public.
As for the drunk driving/sacked issue...I don't see what the big debate is. If you know that 1) you NEED a licence to be able to work and that it is a requirement of your job/insurance/conditions of employment and 2) you CHOOSE to drink and drive anyway (no one pouring the beer down your throat, no one holding a weapon to your head to tell you to drive), then 3) you have to live with the consequences of your actions as we all do. Why be crying about the repercussions if they were your choices that led to them? The drunk driving here is just shocking. What, people have never heard of designated drivers? Taxis?
As for the drunk driving/sacked issue...I don't see what the big debate is. If you know that 1) you NEED a licence to be able to work and that it is a requirement of your job/insurance/conditions of employment and 2) you CHOOSE to drink and drive anyway (no one pouring the beer down your throat, no one holding a weapon to your head to tell you to drive), then 3) you have to live with the consequences of your actions as we all do. Why be crying about the repercussions if they were your choices that led to them? The drunk driving here is just shocking. What, people have never heard of designated drivers? Taxis?
My neighbour always does it - even his girlfriend told me 'he is terrible for it'.
Oct 13th 2009, 7:02 pm
#25
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Joined: Feb 2009
Posts: 3,566
Re: Drink Driving
There are excuses for drink driving - being drunk is one of them. I really dont see how it will ever be prevented but I dont think a drink driving charge should cost you your job as you could always catch the bus.
Oct 13th 2009, 7:03 pm
#26
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Joined: Feb 2008
Location: Melbourne
Posts: 435
Re: Drink Driving
you should if your name is Frank Farina, it is the 2nd time you've been caught, you got caught at SEVEN in the MORNING and well, you are manager of Brisbane Roar....
http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/br...-1225786469344
http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/br...-1225786469344
Oct 13th 2009, 7:06 pm
#27
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Joined: Feb 2009
Posts: 3,566
Re: Drink Driving
you should if your name is Frank Farina, it is the 2nd time you've been caught, you got caught at SEVEN in the MORNING and well, you are manager of Brisbane Roar....
http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/br...-1225786469344
http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/br...-1225786469344
Oct 13th 2009, 7:15 pm
#28
Forum Regular
Thread Starter
Joined: Dec 2002
Posts: 129
Re: Drink Driving
I think drink driving is very stupid but unless having a driving licence is a requirement of the job or the offence itself took place somehow in a work context, no, I don't think someone should be sacked.
It's not my employer's business what I do outside working hours if it doesn't affect my work, and it doesn't help anyone to have another unemployed person on the streets. If the fine/imprisonment would be inadequate without the person losing their job, then it should have been tougher in the first place.
I don't think "being in the public eye" is enough to justify being sacked either.
Where does this question come from?
It's not my employer's business what I do outside working hours if it doesn't affect my work, and it doesn't help anyone to have another unemployed person on the streets. If the fine/imprisonment would be inadequate without the person losing their job, then it should have been tougher in the first place.
I don't think "being in the public eye" is enough to justify being sacked either.
Where does this question come from?
No
Glad to stir up a hornets nest on this one though.
Let's assume then that you should be sacked for drink driving. So you should also be sacked for talking on your mobile phone while driving without a hands free kit. Isn't that supposed to be more distracting?
Oct 13th 2009, 8:04 pm
#29
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Posts: 6,600
Re: Drink Driving
Following your train of thought . . . should it therefore also be a sackable offence to be caught . . . because after all, this is about getting caught . . . being in receipt of fellatio whilst in charge of a motor vehicle? I would assume that one, if not several, rules of the road were being broken?
Oct 13th 2009, 8:05 pm
#30
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Thread Starter
Joined: Dec 2002
Posts: 129
Re: Drink Driving
Following your train of thought . . . should it therefore also be a sackable offence to be caught . . . because after all, this is about getting caught . . . being in receipt of fellatio whilst in charge of a motor vehicle? I would assume that one, if not several, rules of the road were being broken?
