30% of drink drivers recidivists

Taking a car off someone doesn’t address the root cause of the issue.

I like the idea of targeting recidivists using RAPID.

eyeLikeCarrots said :

What is the solution to drink driving.

Penalties like suspension of license and fines don’t work.

The only other thing I can think of is – no car = no drink driving (Unless they borrow their mother’s, father’s, son’s, daughter’s, brothers etc etc car).

Otherwise you need to change attitudes… on a nationwide scale ?

Then take their car as well if they are driving it under the influence . Beside who would be an idiot to let a drunk person drive their car?

Hosinator said :

Secondly, the breathalyser could also analyse the drivers DNA to ensure the person blowing is the person who owns the vehicle. Yes I know there are other issues associated with this approach.

It would take Months to do DNA testing……

I agree with the idea to put the legal limit back up to .08 or even 1. and then nail those that exceed it. Currently you have people going .06 who are clearly unaffected by alcohol.

That said, the laws are working, most ordinary people who go over never do it again and are very chastened with their experience and the fact that they now have a record.

The problem with recidivists is, they have issues. They might be addicted and out of control, or have a bad attitude to laws and don’t care if they have a record. A recent discussion here featured a number of people who clearly regarded the law as a sideline issue to their lives and who did not worry too much about the consequences of breaking it.

So focussing efforts on those people, rather than the very broad approach at the moment, might be a better go.

I think, with the issue at hand being recidivism specifically, that we need to do something to target that.

Various schemes involving the confiscation or crushing of cars are difficult to make work while cars are any interchangeable item (you can drive someone else’s).

What about a system where by police are able to target people with prior convictions? The existing RAPID system would make this pretty easy. Sit by road like a normal RBT but only pull over people with previous convictions? Or would could make people wear a “D” plate on their car for five years after getting their licence back…

I wonder sometimes how many of these people have done their drinking in licensed establishments? Maybe the government could consider legislating for pubs to have a bouncer with a breathalyser at the exit to their car-parks?

While I am all in favour of campaigns like the one running this month, I can’t help but think it shouldn’t be a month long campaign but rather a change to the polices daily tactics. I know they often have other things to do, but maybe they could replace all speed traps with a RBT? Maybe fund them a little better with RBT’s specifically in mind?

Go along the lines of hooning laws and take their cars off them. It is far more difficult to keep obtaining another car each time you get caught for drink driving.

Speeding is one of things where you can creep over the limit, realise what’s happened and slow down. To drink drive, you need to consume alcohol knowing you will be driving soon. There’s far more premeditation to drink driving than many other driving offences.

Maybe we need our courts to be handing out punishments that give people time to think. Instead of sending them to gaol which significantly disrupts their lives, how about we hand out more community service work? There’s plenty of jobs that need doing!

My preferred option, is to consider drink driving in particular recidivist drink driving as akin to attempted manslaughter.
As a recidivist you have had the chance to sober up, reflect upon your actions, the possible fine and suspension of your license. If you do it again you are knowingly placing the lives of other road users or passengers at risk and this should be treated in a similar fashion to attempted manslaughter.
Punishment should include all of the following, lengthy jail time, suspension of your license, hefty fine, crushing of your vehicle, dismemberment, feeding to the dogs.

Or we can rely on government legislation for all future vehicles to be fitted with an alcohol breath analyser that immobilises the vehicle if you attempt to drive after drinking.

Even if you legislate this by tomorrow, then it will still take 20 or more years to remove every pre-legislation car off the road and recidivists may choose to maintain their Datsun 120Ys for the rest of their hopefully short lives.

Other issues that arise include, someone else blowing into the breathalyser. Firstly, what a douche bag if a sober person would be willing to do that for a drunk, I would use them for target practice.
Secondly, the breathalyser could also analyse the drivers DNA to ensure the person blowing is the person who owns the vehicle. Yes I know there are other issues associated with this approach.

shadow boxer said :

I’m going to get smashed here but it’s a bit like the speeding thing, put the limit back to a reasonable level, say .08, and then throw the book at offenders.

The only reason this doesn’t work is because those that have been through the system know it is too easy to do and do again and not get punished. At the moment you lose your licence;big deal I’ll risk driving without a licence, and get a fine that you can take as long as I want to pay off; big deal….

I believe everyone gets a chance, maybe even two, but the recent amendments to the drink driving legislation should have introduced minimum sentencing, there is no excuse for multiple offences in a short period of time. The ACT Courts simply do not issue harsh enoupgh sentences to be a deterrent, even just a week or two in the Hume Hilton would serve as quite the punishment methinks…

shadow boxer said :

I’m going to get smashed here but it’s a bit like the speeding thing, put the limit back to a reasonable level, say .08, and then throw the book at offenders.

zero levels are self defeating, just leads to a lack of respect and a what the hell i’m over now….

I said something similar to this a while ago, raise the limit to .1 and smash big time anyone who blows over that.

I was roundly, and possibly hexagonally, shouted down.

What exists now DOES NOT WORK, but no-one is prepared to think outside the square and try something new.

Hence, people keep getting caught, they keep re-offending and the merry go-round goes on…

I’m going to get smashed here but it’s a bit like the speeding thing, put the limit back to a reasonable level, say .08, and then throw the book at offenders.

zero levels are self defeating, just leads to a lack of respect and a what the hell i’m over now….

What is the solution to drink driving.

Penalties like suspension of license and fines don’t work.

The only other thing I can think of is – no car = no drink driving (Unless they borrow their mother’s, father’s, son’s, daughter’s, brothers etc etc car).

Otherwise you need to change attitudes… on a nationwide scale ?

Take their vehicles off them……….