Taranaki Daily News: Within limits

Helen Harvey writes in the Taranaki Daily News about a proposal being considered by government to reduce the legal blood alcohol limit for driving.

New Zealand’s current limit of 80mg/100ml is higher than many other countries, and there is support for the view that reducing the limit would reduce the number of accident-related injuries and deaths, as well as saving a great deal of money.

An excerpt: (read in full here)

“Capital & Coast Health chief medical officer Geoff Robinson says it is worth weighing up the fact that it takes a lot of alcohol to reach the 80mg level.

“”I was interested in a statement by Professor [Doug] Sellman. He believes our current level of 79 is a legal sanction to drive drunk.”

“At 80mg/100ml of blood, people are showing signs of intoxication that will be obvious to themselves and probably others, he says. These include slurring of speech, knocking things over, unsteady walking and slowed thinking.”