New Zealand cuts drink drive limit by almost half
New Zealand has slashed the drink drive limit for drivers aged over 20 by nearly half in a bid to tackle the number of alcohol-related incidents on its roads.
New Zealand has almost halved its drink-drive limit as of todayThe new rules, which come into effect today, have lowered the blood alcohol limit from 80 milligrams to just 50 milligrams per millilitre of blood.
It means the average adult is now only permitted to have two standard drinks over two hours before they are over the limit.
Drivers found to have between 251 and 400mg of alcohol on their breath ill be fined AU$200, and those who register even higher will face criminal charges.
Drivers under 20 are still prohibited from drinking any alcohol before driving as the result of legislation introduced in 2011.
Police have urged drivers to take caution insisting there will be no leniency for those who claim they were unaware or the new regulations.
“We’re stepping it up, definitely,” said assistant commissioner Dave Cliff, as reported by the New Zealand Herald. “December and January are the worst months for alcohol and speed-related casualties so we want to get in early with really ramping up enforcement to keep people out of the hospitals and out of the mortuaries.
“When the government announced this about 12 months ago we saw the number of prosecutions [for drink driving] plummet, so we think the vast majority of people have got the message already.”
Statistics suggest that on average in New Zealand there are 61 fatalities, 244 serious injuries and 761 minor injuries every year as a result of drivers drinking alcohol before driving.
In October, Scottish politicians revealed plans to reduce the country’s drink-driving limit by Christmas.
