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Source: ONE News -
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Transport Minister Steven Joyce has described legal alcohol limits for drivers as "ridiculous" and his comments are being taken as an indication that tougher measures are on the way.
Speaking at a conference of traffic experts in Auckland on Wednesday, Joyce said he could drink three-quarters of a bottle of wine in 90 minutes yet still have every chance of being under the legal limit for adult drivers.
"That's just ridiculous," Joyce told the Local Authority Traffic Institute conference.
He says there was a popular misconception that reducing the adult limit of 80mg of alcohol per 100ml of blood to 50mg would restrict motorists to little more than one standard drink if they wanted to drive home.
Joyce says he wants to hear a full range of community views on
proposals set out in a Ministry of Transport discussion paper
before the government commits itself to any changes.
In New Zealand the limits are 400 micrograms per litre of breath
and 80mg per 100 ml of blood. Australia by comparison allows 250
micrograms per litre of breath and 50mg per 100ml of blood. New
Zealand's blood alcohol levels are the same as in the UK, but they
are much tougher on those who get caught.
Watch Close Up tonight as two of our reporters (under
police supervision) put both the proposed drink driving limit
and the existing one to the test. The results shocked them - see
what you think on Close Up, 7pm, TV ONE.
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