Wol

Be interesting. There is a site somewhere which gives the statistics on premature deaths because of things like falling out of bed, and choking while picking your nose etc - but I can't find it.

I'm sure ABCD knows where it is <g>.

Lord_Farquar

I watched an episode of Sleek Geeks with Adam Spencer, that showed you are more likely to be killed by a vending machine than a shark!

Deutschmaster

There was a recent blitz on fining cyclists in the Melbourne CBD. I'm sure that it was in response to a whole TWO people being knocked over and killed by cyclists in the past decade.

OK, it's bad that 2 people needlessly died, but surely the police-power could have had more of an effect on reducing deaths by hassling people driving dangerously

lee_h

Yeah those things can be vicious. I broke a nail on a vending maching once. Never had a scratch from a shark.

Lord_Farquar

Does seem silly. How many people have died in road accidents in the past decade?

lapin_windstar

No - such a sentence would do bugger all useful for reducing drugs use and frankly your idea is terrible. It would initially involve locking large numbers of people up for almost twice as long as the average manslaughter sentence (8 years in NSW) at huge expense ($64,000 per annum per inmate), and then juries would refuse to convict, as they always do when the penalty is too harsh - go back to the 18th Century.

You're suggesting this as if it were a great idea that was working fine until namby-pamby social workers and massage therapists put a stop to it and then things started to fall apart. That's 100% backwards. Harsh and brutal sentences for theft did sod all to reduce property and other petty crime in 18th and 19th Century England. Clue: this is why Australia existed as a British colony. Never heard the expression "'might as well be hung for a sheep as a lamb.'"?

Harsh and brutal sentences for alcohol manufacture and distribution didn't do much to support prohibition in the US, although it did make JFK's dad very rich.

Harsh and brutal sentences for (alcohol and other) drugs distribution and consumption i.e. death don't do much to stop its use in Saudi Arabia and Iran - just ask our friends on the other boards there.

Harsh and brutal sentences for drug use and distribution in Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia i.e. death don't do much to stop...do we need to continue?

lapin_windstar

That's why I keep buying the elephant repellent!

PamE

I must admit I'm very sensitive on this one, for two reasons:

1. My brother was killed in a car crash when he was 20 years old. I don't know if alcohol was involved but I do know the pain of loss. How can you in all conscience imply there is no real justification for zero tolerance because ''reduction in deaths might be very small''? Every single life is precious. If zero tolerance on alcohol & driving saves even just one life, isn't that reason enough?

2. I'm an alcoholic. I haven't had a drink in 7 years. Sometimes (albeit very rarely nowadays) I'd very much love a cold Budweiser, but I can't have one. You folk that go nuts about zero tolerance talk such sh*t, worrying about how it will make ''huge changes to the social scene'' - you can have a drink any day you like! Would just one night off so you don't perhaps kill someone be such a hardship?

Am sure I'll be winding people up with what I just wrote but like I said, this topic is a very sensitive one for me and am just being very honest in order to try and drive home the point. Imo, zero tolerance on alcohol and driving makes perfect sense.

(Incidentally I have no problem with folks drinking alcohol in general at all - my husband drinks, so do all my friends, and I am more than happy down the pub, so please don't anyone start bashing the killjoy tee-totaller! )

emelems

I doubt anyone would or should start bashing you, full stop.. I think that your honesty and your strength is a credit to you..



Em x

spartacus

Here Here.

POW148

That is all well and good but who would do the "calibration" of the breathalysier keys. All breath analysis machines used by the Police are calibrated every 6 months. These machines are very expensive. The machine to do the calibration is very costly also. Calibration takes time. The person conducting the calibration has to be a technician (not mechanic). Money Money Money. The end user will always pay.
Not only that, it is not an offence to drive a vehicle on private property whilst under the influence just as it is not illegal to speed or drive an unroadworthy vehicle.

Barney

Cheetah7

A very well written and thought provoking post.

It annoys me when some people think that they have the right to adapt the laws of the road to suit themselves.

They may freely admit to speeding, saying that speed is ok if you can control it and even comparing it to Formula One car racing - (they are not even driving on a race track but hey ho!)

They dont agree with the drink and driving policies and use their 'own limit' as a guideline, perhaps thinking that 3 or 4 glasses of wine and they are still in control, despite the limit being there for a reason, they know better or at least think they do.

Basically they adapt the laws to suit their own lifestyle, heaven forbid they go out and stick well within the limit or not even drink at all.

Its like justifying smoking in front of your children because they breathe in car fumes anyway so what is a bit of fag smoke?

As you say Pam, one life lost through a drink/drive incident is one too many and I think that anyone that tries to justify their drink/driving would sing a different tune if it was their child/wife/husband/parent who was that one person killed.

this charming man

i always get confused between the amount before you drive and the amount you can bring through customs,endless chats with the old bill.

DadAgain

So dont re-calibrate them.... Police untis HAVE to be re-calibrated and certified so their readings are valid legal tools. I bet police speed radars are recalibrated frequently too - but how often do you re-calibrate your cars speedo? A population-wide 'breathalyser key' wouldnt need to be so accurate. The responsibility for remaining sober still lies with the individual - if their key falsely allows them to drive then they are still accountable. If the key prevents them from driving when they should be permitted then let it be down to the individual to pay for a re-calibration. (Much like re-gassing air-con in an old car if you feel its not getting you cold enough).

I dont know how accurate consumer level devices are - but US$10 gets you a breathaliser from eBay... US$60 gets a better one... I'd bet that kind of cost added to car-keys wouldnt break the bank. (ok integrating it into an ignition system requires a bit of enginerring - but its totaly possible)

lee_h

I don't think they need to be intregrated, i think the regular one's that you talk about need to be advertised better. I never knew about them. If you had one you would only use it a few times anyway because most people would get to know how many drinks they could have. I'm seriously thinking of getting one, not so that i can drive as close to the limit as possible but to see how high i can go on it when i'm safely at home. i'm sure lots of people will be trying that....could be a great game for christmas