Some discussion on talkback about two recent deaths due to drink/driving highlighted in the DomPost, prompted me to look at a country where penalties are tougher.
According to the Singapore police these are the current penalties for drink driving. (Their limits are the same as in NZ by the way);
First Time – Drink driver will be fined between $1000 and $5000 or six months imprisonment.
Second Time – Drink driver will be fined between $3000 and $10,000 fine and imprisonment for a term of up to one year.
Repeated Time – Drink Driver will face enhanced punishment up to 3 times the penalty, a maximum of $30,000 fine and three years' imprisonment.
Offenders causing death or serious injuries can also be caned up to 6 strokes.
All those convicted will be disqualified from driving for at least 1 year, even if they have not caused any traffic accidents.
Is it working? The police say:
The significant rise in drink-driving arrests is a worrying trend – recording a 7% rise from 3,733 cases in 2006, to 4,009 cases in 2007. The total number of drink-driving cases in 2007 has also been the highest for the last 10 years.
So now the police are trying something different;
Apart from maintaining regular enforcement efforts against drink driving, Traffic Police also collaborated with entertainment outlet operators in 2008 to launch several new Anti Drink Drive (ADD) initiatives. For example, the distribution of complimentary taxi vouchers and the provision of a complimentary chauffeur service to escort drunken patrons home.
Result?
A drop of 10.5 percent in arrests for drink/driving from 2007 to 2008.
Perhaps NZ has to start thinking beyond penalties.
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7 comments:
"the distribution of complimentary taxi vouchers and the provision of a complimentary chauffeur service to escort drunken patrons home."
Erm, and who is paying for these? I hope this is not funded out of tax money...
But you don't object to failing penalty enforcement procedures and personnel coming out of taxpayer funds?
The solution is put in place enforcable penalties along the following lines.
Offence 1: $1,000 fine and a disqualification period based around level above limit. If fine is not paid within 30 days 1 weeks jail with fine still due.
Offence 2. $5,000 fine and 30 days jail. 2 year disqualification. If fine not paid extra 30 days jail.
3 or more offences. $10,000 fine.
3 months jail, car impounded and sold irrespective of owner. Disqualified for life.
There may need to be some `tweaking' but enforcement will be the biggest deterrent.
The penalties should work like speeding. It would be ridiculous to fine someone the same for going 50k over the limit the same as someone going 10k over.
It the alcohol limit is dropped to the 50 which is very low it would be clearly wrong for the paealty to apply for 255 as 55.
There should be zero tolerance, but that will only get people riled up and wont stop the stupid from drinking and driving.
There is NO suitable limit that will satisfy all.
We can only sit back and watch the carnage and hope it dont cross our path.
Dirk
Dirk, I have come to the conclusion that you are an incorrigible fatalist/hedonist and that the second condition eases the first.
Lindsay you hit the nail on the head as they say.
I have seen much in my time and every month i witness history repeating itself politicaly,socialy,economicaly and all the rest. Its hard to take it seriously anymore.
My wife calls me a lush, but I dont drink and drive. My vehicles give me to much pleasure to risk my licence.
Next to that my opinion comes a close second. My wife says 'I have too many opinions, and not enough sense to keep them to myself".
Having said that, i applaud your contribution and long may you continue
Dirk.
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