Queensland consulted on tough new drink driving measures

Premier and Minister for the Arts
The Honourable Anna Bligh
14/03/2010
Queensland consulted on tough new drink driving measures
 
The Queensland Government will continue its campaign against drink driving with options for strict new laws being released for consultation.

Premier Anna Bligh and Transport Minister Rachel Nolan today released the Drink Driving in Queensland Discussion Paper.

The paper asks Queenslanders to comment on a range of tough measures, which are under consideration by the State Government.

"This week we announced the roll out of the alcohol interlockers scheme for high risk drink drivers and this discussion paper is the next step in our tough drink driving strategy," said Ms Bligh.

"In 2009, there were 71 fatalities involving alcohol on our roads, which equated to 21.5 per cent of the entire road toll in Queensland.

"These people are not only risking their own lives, but selfishly the lives of their passengers and other road users.

"The papers canvasses dropping the blood alcohol limit lower than 0.05. I believe this is something that would need to be done nationally but I am interested in hearing Queenslander's views."

Other options presented for discussion in the plan include:

•Immediate license suspension for drink driving offenders with a blood alcohol level of 0.10 (which would be down from 0.15.)

•Impoundment of vehicles for drink drivers who commit two or more drink driving offences of any kind.

•Longer impoundment times for vehicles when drivers are charged with drink driving offences (currently 48 hours) to either seven or 28 days.

•Work license reforms to make it tougher to get work licenses. The option of abolishing restricted licenses (work licenses) in Queensland entirely is also included in the paper.

•A compulsory blood testing requirement for drivers who attend hospital for examination or treatment as a result of a motor vehicle crash.

•Extending the time limit for requiring a specimen (blood or breath) for analysis for a drink driving charge from two to three hours to assist officers in remote locations.

•Remove the current 48 hour leave period for open license holders to produce their license to stop people providing false identity at the time of police interception.

Ms Nolan said some of the potential interventions contained in the discussion paper have been adopted in other Australian states and overseas, while others are further enhancements to existing Queensland programs.

Ms Nolan said the initiatives are ideas at this stage and not yet government policy.

"We want to know the views of the community on these proposals before considering future drink driving initiatives," she said.

"Not all suggestions may be feasible, but all ideas will be considered.

"The feedback received will be used to inform the government's future direction to combat drink driving in Queensland, so I would encourage everyone to have their say."

Ms Nolan said the discussion paper and survey will be available at www.getinvolved.qld.gov.au Community consultation on the discussion paper closes at 9am on 17 May, 2010.