Zero Blood Alcohol Limit proposed for Taxi, Bus Drivers

[Buzz Killington]

The ACT Government will consider proposals to overhaul the issuing of restrictive licences and to introduce a zero blood alcohol limit for professional drivers.

The Government is reviewing rules and regulations governing drink driving in the Territory after a record number of people were caught driving while over the limit.

The review - by the Department of Territory and Municipal Services (TAMS) - has proposed reducing the blood alcohol limit for L-plate and P-plate drivers, and taxi and bus drivers from 0.02 to zero.

The limit is currently at 0.02 to accommodate anomalies caused by medicines, mouth washes and drinks that may register a minor reading.

TAMS general manager of transport regulation and planning, Karen Greenland, says there is a strong case for lowering the alcohol limit.

"Most jurisdictions in Australia already have that limit and I think on that basis there would be a very strong case to argue that the ACT should follow," she said.

But the Transport Workers Union says it will oppose any measure to reduce the blood alcohol limit.

Spokesman Klaus Pinkas says the current limit prevents drivers unfairly losing their licences.

"Nobody is arguing that people who are impaired by alcohol or have even medium-level readings or low-level readings ... shouldn't have the book thrown at them," he said.

"Nobody's arguing that at all. But you've got to have a little bit of leeway here for things - medications and that sort of thing.

"The consequences of getting done if you're a professional driver is that you lose your livelihood."

However Ms Greenland says she thinks it would be unlikely for a person to be convicted of drink driving after taking medication.

"There's a fairly recent study that's concluded the instrumentation that's used to detect drink driving is sensitive enough to rule out mouth wash alcohol which could affect the measurement of a zero reading," she said.

She says the changes would prevent people guessing how much alcohol they can consume.

"The message would be - if we were to go to a zero blood alcohol concentration level for certain drivers - that you don't drink and drive," she said.

ABC News

[Bus 400]

I think we should go further & have a 0.00 limit for all drivers as drunk drivers are a danger to those in buses & taxis as well.

[The Love Guru]

I think we should go further & have a 0.00 limit for all drivers as drunk drivers are a danger to those in buses & taxis as well.

I think for the first time ever i am going to agree with you 100%

[smitho]

I think we should go further & have a 0.00 limit for all drivers as drunk drivers are a danger to those in buses & taxis as well.

Hear, hear! But I'd like to see them crack down on all mobile phone use while driving as well. Overseas research suggests that driving while using a mobile phone has comparable bad effects on driving skills as moderate alcohol consumption.

[Busnerd]

Gee, who would use their mobile whilst driving

[Irisbus Rider]

 

I suppose this means no Cherry Ripe bars for drivers.....

I'm still undecided on this, there needs to be a margin of understanding here, I think Klaus put it perfectly:

The consequences of getting done if you're a professional driver is that you lose your livelihood

[Busnerd]

So I see we are doing the opposite to the rest of the country who is lowering the penalty on professional drivers. Such as low range speeding now only 1 point not 3 etc.

Professional drivers need a break as the fact they have a higher licence class should mean they are better than just C licence holders and more responsible etc.

[Ed]

The higher-ups often do this sort of thing to make themselves look good, to make the general public think that they are taking some sort of action (doesn't matter who's in the firing line, the general public are often very ignorant on these kinds of details). They don't care if they are punishing the wrong group of people (in this case, the professional drivers). But then, the higher up one goes, the more of a paper pushing desk jockey one becomes and the more of their own arse they have to cover.

The bottom line is, the TAMS general manager won't lose her job over a bottle of mouthwash or a packet of cough lozenges. They don't care if the simple, lowly bus driver does.

[Irisbus Rider]

Well put Ed, it's a very sad state that it is like this.....