On way to work but
. . . TOO DRUNK TO DRIVE
DOZENS of drivers across Wellington have already fallen foul of the lower drink-driving limit since its introduction three weeks ago – with some being busted on their way to work after a big night out.
Appropriately in the run-up to Christmas and New Year, a health expert has now warned that an increasing number of motorists – and in particular women – will find themselves over the new lower limit despite believing they’ve slept it off.
The warning comes as provisional police statistics show dozens of Wellington drivers have been caught out in the three weeks since the lower limit became law.
At least 35 drivers have been caught with excess breath alcohol levels between the old limit of 400 micrograms per litre of breath and the new limit of 250mcg, which came into effect on December 1 for drivers aged 20-plus.
The blood alcohol limit was also reduced from 80 milligrams of alcohol per litre of blood to 50mg. For drivers aged under 20, the limit remained at zero.
The offending drivers were caught across Wellington, Hutt Valley and Kapiti between December 1 and 19. No figures were available for the last two days, the closest weekend before Christmas and a notoriously busy drinking period.
The first of those caught was nabbed on day two of the rule change. Ten more were caught on Saturday December 13. Three men who failed breath tests because of the new limit were caught out in the morning. Two were on their way to work after drinking the night before, acting district road policing manager Senior Sergeant Ian Martin said.
Some drivers caught out by the new limit were ‘‘surprised’’ to discover they were too drunk to drive, he said.
Drivers who fail an alcohol test between the new and old limits avoid a criminal conviction but receive a $200 fine, 50 demerit points and are banned from driving for the next 12 hours.
Those who accumulate 100 or more demerit points within two years face a three-month driving suspension.
Wellington Hospital emergency medicine specialist Paul Quigley said drivers needed to be mindful of the fact that sleep did not speed up becoming sober.
‘‘Our livers simply chug their way through one standard drink per hour awake or asleep,’’ he said.
How quickly a person processed alcohol varied on their weight, metabolism, time spent drinking and how much food they had eaten.
But a case study Quigley created of people who consumed 13 standard drinks between 5pm and midnight, then slept until 7am, showed an average male might not be fit to drive under the new limit until 6am and women could still be too drunk to drive at 10am.
‘‘Now, a lot of people drink harder and longer than this so they would be at real risk.’’
At St Johns Restaurant, Bar and Hotel last night, Thomas Tondu said he was surprised to be stopped by police at a checkpoint on Lambton Quay yesterday morning.
‘‘It was a bit of a surprise at eight on a Sunday morning. I can understand four or six.’’
Tondu said he was not a heavy drinker but doubted many people would consider they might not be safe to drive to work the morning after a big night out. ‘‘It doesn’t cross your mind at all.’’ Another punter, Peter, said he had modified his drinking behaviour to fit the new limits.
‘‘If I’m drinking, there’s no way I’m driving. If there’s beers after work, I’ll just have one and leave as opposed to when I used to have more.’’
Kieran Haslett-Moore, a beer specialist at Regional Wines & Spirits, said the number of customers searching for lower-alcohol beer and wine had noticeably increased since the new limit was introduced.
Some local craft brewers had been selling out of their low-alcohol beers recently, he said. ‘‘It shows the demand is definitely out there.’’