Imagine if you had to tell a family that their child was never coming home again...because a driver had a few too many drinks and they were too lazy to get a taxi? How would you feel if it was your child? Your brother, your parent, your best friend? Now imagine that you're the one who had a few drinks and thought...Home isn't too far. I'll make it without getting busted. While on the back streets worrying if the booze bus will catch you, you hit someone. How do you live with that for the rest of your life?By Nikki Roberts 21 Mar 2016, 12:34pm
Alcohol interlock devices being introduced in Western Australia this year will go a long way to slashing the incidence of drink driving, Road Safety Minister Liza Harvey has said.
Key points:
- Up to 5,000 interlocks to be installed this year
- Installation to be at driver's expense
- Minister confident measure will cut drink-driving rates
Alcohol interlocks act as breathalysers and are used to prevent high-risk offenders from driving a car while drunk.
The relevant legislation was passed by Parliament last year and it was expected courts would start ordering the devices be fitted to the cars of drink drivers in the second half of this year.
The devices would be compulsory for all motorists convicted of driving with a blood-alcohol level in excess of 0.15, as well as those with more than one excess 0.08 offence.
The interlocks would be installed at the driver's expense for a minimum of six months, and only once the licence suspension period imposed by the courts had been served.
Mrs Harvey said Road Safety Commission figures showed approximately 5,000 drink drivers in WA could be forced to install the devices in their vehicles each year.
Mrs Harvey said if a driver failed an interlock breath test they would have to undergo an assessment and treatment program, which included six sessions with a specialist alcohol and addiction counsellor.
"The problem with these recidivist offenders is a problem with alcohol, so what we need to do is work with them on their alcohol problem while ensuring they cannot drive a vehicle while they're under the influence of alcohol," she said.
"And we're confident if they attend the six sessions, they go through that period of good behaviour, that we'll be able to change that habit and that is the very bad, very dangerous habit of drinking and driving."
