Calls for the legal blood alcohol concentration (BAC) for drivers to be reduced to 0.02 would, in practical terms, be the same as zero BAC. Trying to judge how much alcohol could be consumed to remain under the legal limit is difficult and drivers would be best advised to not drink any alcohol at all if they intended to drive.

However, a reduction in BAC limits would do little to reduce Drink Driving in Australia as it is symptomatic of a problem drinking culture.

Australians consume large quantities of alcohol and consume it frequently. In 2007 the per capita consumption of alcohol for Australians over 15 years was almost 10 litres.^[i] This is high by world standards.

In a 2007 survey of alcohol users, more than 10 per cent reported consuming alcohol at levels considered to be harmful in the long term. During the same period 20.4 per cent reported consuming alcohol once a month or more at levels considered to be harmful in the short term (AIHW 2007).[ii]

The National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre’s December 2010 report raises concerns that more than 700,000 children live with parents who drink heavily. [iii]

The estimated cost of alcohol abuse in this country is $36 billion (AER 2010).^[iv]

Murcotts educates and counsels more than 1,000 drink drivers in Victoria each year. When we view the drink driver closely we see a culture of selfishness with a series of presumptuous, conflicting ‘personal rights’ coming into play. For example: the right to a driver licence; the right to consume alcohol; and even the right to drink and drive, ‘as long as I do not exceed the legal BAC set by authorities’.

The problem here is that the drink driver generally does not know how to calculate a 0.05 BAC and in many cases would prefer to claim ignorance of such knowledge, which is otherwise easily obtained through public education campaigns.

In addition, the recidivist drink driver, who is also a problem drinker, looks for the ‘blame someone else’ avenue when drinking and driving, claiming that exceeding the legal limit was accidental and, ‘no-one told me’. We should remind ourselves at this stage that a first time drink driving offender is not a first time drink driver. We should also note that consuming more than the recommended two standard drinks in the first hour (for men) and one each other hour is a ‘recipe’ for a drink driving offence - not an accident.

Drink driving accounts for almost one quarter of the road toll in Australia. However, over the past three decades Australia has experienced a dramatic decrease in the rate of drink driving. Such a decrease is due to several key strategies including:

• National adoption of 0.00 BAC for novice drivers (0.02 in WA), drivers of heavy vehicles, dangerous goods vehicles, public transport vehicles and supervisors of learner drivers
• Increases in high profile random breath testing operations
• Continued mass media delivery of education and publicity on the risks and dangers of drinking and driving
• Increased penalties for drink driving, and
• Development of measures to deal with recidivist drink drivers.

While more than 20 percent of drivers and motorcyclist killed on Australian roads have a Blood Alcohol Concentration exceeding 0.05, the majority are three times over the legal limit. They are the problem group that are not deterred by legal limits and would probably drink and drive regardless of zero BAC restrictions.

The fact is, that there are still many strategies to be trialed and implemented that could further reduce alcohol related death on the road. These include increased enforcement, such as random breath testing equivalent to one test per driver per year; increased penalties, such as vehicle impoundment or immobilisation; new technology, such as passive alcohol ignition interlock devices; and increased referral to effective treatment programs for the alcohol dependent driver.

It is also important to remember that the majority of Australia’s 15 million drivers are doing the right thing and not drinking and driving beyond legal limits.

Murcotts is of the view that a reduction from 0.05 BAC to 0.02 BAC will not address the drink driving problem nor the real issue of problem drinking.

December 2010