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?Roads Minister Andrew Constance says NSW is taking a "zero-tolerance" approach to drink and drug-driving.
Anyone in NSW found drink-driving will immediately lose their licence for three months from May 20.
Anyone caught drink-driving in NSW can now lose their licence immediately under a tough new penalty regime that will also see offenders fined almost $600.
First time, low-range drink-drivers from May 20 can be slapped with an on-the-spot suspension of their licence for three months and a fine of $561.
"This means anyone caught drink-driving in NSW, at any level, including low-range, can now lose their licence immediately," the minister said in a statement on Monday.
"This reform makes it clear if you break the law, you will pay the price. We are taking a zero-tolerance approach to drink and drug driving."
Drivers found with drugs in their system will face the same penalties if the offence is confirmed by laboratory analysis.
Some 68 people died in alcohol-related crashes on NSW roads last year. Drug-driving resulted in a similar number of deaths.
Assistant Police Commissioner Michael Corboy said the reform would protect road users by ensuring swift and certain penalties.
(Dalgarno Institute – it is interesting that the notion of ‘zero-tolerance’ is panned universally by all pro-drug activists, even though it works far more than what people are led to believe, as it was with seat-belt, litter and even smoking laws… ‘Stick’ of penalty and ‘carrot’ of reward/assistance for changed behaviour do work… Well, except, we are told by pro-drug activists, with illicit drugs! Again, it is the ‘impaired’ that are dictating ‘policy and practice’???? We need to go back one step further to help people at least delay, if not deny, uptake of substances in the first place. It’s time to now incentivize demand reduction. This ‘zero-tolerance’ saves, lives, health, family, productivity and money ALL round! Best practice of ‘not using’ is the only BEST PRACTICE actively avoided in this space!)
