Drinking on Interislander: is it time to call time?

Forums › Off topic › Drinking on Interislander: is it time to call time?

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7

1028 posts

Uber Geek
Inactive user

#1254741 10-Mar-2015 16:37

KiwiNZ: I don't understand the mentality of drinking and driving, we should have a three strikes and out law for it here, first offence mandatory 12 month loss of licence, second offence mandatory 24 month loss of licence, third offence and you lose your licence for life.

What I find really intriguing is there has been all the hype and discussions and brochures about the reduction of the limit from 400 to 250mcg and facing $200 fine and 50 demerit points within this range...

The fine is not so bad, the demerit points are though...

But yet nobody seems to be aware of the other changes, to what happens now if you do get caught EBA...

You do lose your (standard) license for over 4 years at a cost of $2400-$2700 if you want to continue to drive. Any screw ups during that time... back to the start.

MikeB4

18435 posts

Uber Geek

ID Verified

Trusted

#1254743 10-Mar-2015 16:39

IlDuce:
KiwiNZ: I don't understand the mentality of drinking and driving, we should have a three strikes and out law for it here, first offence mandatory 12 month loss of licence, second offence mandatory 24 month loss of licence, third offence and you lose your licence for life.

What I find really intriguing is there has been all the hype and discussions and brochures about the reduction of the limit from 400 to 250mcg and facing $200 fine and 50 demerit points within this range...

The fine is not so bad, the demerit points are though...

But yet nobody seems to be aware of the other changes, to what happens now if you do get caught EBA...

You do lose your (standard) license for over 4 years at a cost of $2400-$2700 if you want to continue to drive. Any screw ups during that time... back to the start.

I admit I have not looked at the new regime closely as I don't drink alcohol at all.

Stu

Hammered
8350 posts

Uber Geek

Moderator

ID Verified

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

#1254744 10-Mar-2015 16:40

KiwiNZ: I don't understand the mentality of drinking and driving, we should have a three strikes and out law for it here, first offence mandatory 12 month loss of licence, second offence mandatory 24 month loss of licence, third offence and you lose your licence for life.

I doubt that's the answer. Unfortunately those that are likely to have three drink driving convictions are likely to drive whilst disqualified. Add prison at the the third conviction. Possibly even prison for a couple of weeks with the second conviction. Along with fines/loss of licence of course.

People often mistake me for an adult because of my age.

Keep calm, and carry on posting.

Referral Links: Sharesies - Backblaze -

Are you happy with what you get from Geekzone? If so, please consider supporting us by subscribing.

No matter where you go, there you are.

Geese

1028 posts

Uber Geek
Inactive user

#1254784 10-Mar-2015 17:04

I guess I'm saying the $200 fine and 50 demerit points pale into insignificance when compared to what happens next with:

The disqualification period - and no limited licence available.

Then a minimum year on alcohol interlock licence and the huge cost involved in obtaining licence, installing device, hiring device, monthly checks of alcohol readings, not to mention the hassle in using it before and while driving.

Then 3 years on a zero alcohol licence.

People I know seem greatly deterred by the $200 fine and 50 demerits, but I think if the above process was a bit more widely known/better publicized, it might really scare the pants off them, and prevent many from taking any chances.

wasabi2k

2098 posts

Uber Geek

#1254815 10-Mar-2015 17:34

Chances are you and your friends are not recidivist drink drivers.

You can see them every week on Motorway Patrol or Police Ten 7. They are facing thousands of dollars of fines and have already lost their license - yet are behind the wheel, hammered. Some of them have recently got out of jail for - wait for it - driving disqualified/drunk after losing their license for the 5th time.

So what do you do there? Keep adding more money to the pile of fines they are never going to pay? Take away their license they have already lost?

The issue is not simple and having massive penalties is not a silver bullet.

Satch

1985 posts

Uber Geek

#1256225 11-Mar-2015 12:04

Geektastic: As I write this, I am sat in the Kaitaki Plus lounge, observing the drinking habits of those around me. I know a number of the people drinking are driving because I saw them in the queues waiting to board.

One couple, for example, has consumed 4 glasses of wine and 4 beers so far. It's free in the lounge too.

Now, I know you could argue that it's like a pub. Except it isn't. Here, no one is getting a taxi home if they drove a vehicle onto the ship.

Seems to me time drivers were not served alcohol on board. There's not even a mention of drink driving etc.

The simple answer is NO. I do not drink and drive, and I do not want to have such limitations imposed on me based on your (possibly questionable) observations. I suggest you use your spare time on something more constructive. If this was an issue (remembering that drinking and driving is a major focus of the police) then I am sure they would have done something about it now (as pointed out by other contributors to this thread).

Geektastic

17944 posts

Uber Geek

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

#1256377 11-Mar-2015 15:28

Satch:
Geektastic: As I write this, I am sat in the Kaitaki Plus lounge, observing the drinking habits of those around me. I know a number of the people drinking are driving because I saw them in the queues waiting to board.

One couple, for example, has consumed 4 glasses of wine and 4 beers so far. It's free in the lounge too.

Now, I know you could argue that it's like a pub. Except it isn't. Here, no one is getting a taxi home if they drove a vehicle onto the ship.

Seems to me time drivers were not served alcohol on board. There's not even a mention of drink driving etc.

The simple answer is NO. I do not drink and drive, and I do not want to have such limitations imposed on me based on your (possibly questionable) observations. I suggest you use your spare time on something more constructive. If this was an issue (remembering that drinking and driving is a major focus of the police) then I am sure they would have done something about it now (as pointed out by other contributors to this thread).

I'm not at all sure they would.

A mandatory prison term of 10 years no parole for any drink driving would put a top to it in short order but no one has done that. They could have reduced the limit to zero, as they should have, when they changed it last year but they did not do that either.

The alcohol industry is immensely well funded and very persuasive....

Quic Broadband

Move to New Zealand's best fibre broadband service (affiliate link). Free setup code: R587125ERQ6VE. Note that to use Quic Broadband you must be comfortable with configuring your own router.

Geektastic

17944 posts

Uber Geek

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

#1256387 11-Mar-2015 15:31

IlDuce: I guess I'm saying the $200 fine and 50 demerit points pale into insignificance when compared to what happens next with:

The disqualification period - and no limited licence available.

Then a minimum year on alcohol interlock licence and the huge cost involved in obtaining licence, installing device, hiring device, monthly checks of alcohol readings, not to mention the hassle in using it before and while driving.

Then 3 years on a zero alcohol licence.

People I know seem greatly deterred by the $200 fine and 50 demerits, but I think if the above process was a bit more widely known/better publicized, it might really scare the pants off them, and prevent many from taking any chances.

OOI what is to stop a drunk from getting a sober person to blow into the alcohol interlock device to spoof it?

Also, is any offence punished with less than 10 demerits? If not, why not just make it a total of 10 instead of 100 and 10 demerits = 1?

Geektastic

17944 posts

Uber Geek

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

#1256390 11-Mar-2015 15:34

joker97: they have corporal punishment in Singapore

I'd like to see their drink driving stats compared to ours...!

Mind you the cost of car ownership there is immense, so it probably doesn't happen all that often.

Geektastic

17944 posts

Uber Geek

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

#1256392 11-Mar-2015 15:35

Satch:
Geektastic: As I write this, I am sat in the Kaitaki Plus lounge, observing the drinking habits of those around me. I know a number of the people drinking are driving because I saw them in the queues waiting to board.

One couple, for example, has consumed 4 glasses of wine and 4 beers so far. It's free in the lounge too.

Now, I know you could argue that it's like a pub. Except it isn't. Here, no one is getting a taxi home if they drove a vehicle onto the ship.

Seems to me time drivers were not served alcohol on board. There's not even a mention of drink driving etc.

The simple answer is NO. I do not drink and drive, and I do not want to have such limitations imposed on me based on your (possibly questionable) observations. I suggest you use your spare time on something more constructive. If this was an issue (remembering that drinking and driving is a major focus of the police) then I am sure they would have done something about it now (as pointed out by other contributors to this thread).

If you don't drink and drive, how would such limitations as "time drivers were not served alcohol on board" affect you?

ubergeeknz

3344 posts

Uber Geek

Trusted

Vocus

#1256400 11-Mar-2015 15:46

So if I get this straight, you are saying that they should create some new arbitrary rule for the Interislander to somehow determine who is driving and not serve them any alcohol?

How precisely would this be implemented?

What other laws do you think we should make rules to try and prevent people from breaking? If someone is already willing to drink and drive, do you not think they would find a way around this new rule as well?

lxsw20

3556 posts

Uber Geek

Subscriber

#1256403 11-Mar-2015 15:50

Give me 5 million dollars of tax payer money and a panel of "experts" and I'll tell you.

wasabi2k

2098 posts

Uber Geek

#1256418 11-Mar-2015 16:15

Geektastic: A mandatory prison term of 10 years no parole for any drink driving would put a top to it in short order but no one has done that. They could have reduced the limit to zero, as they should have, when they changed it last year but they did not do that either.

Because that is completely and utterly insane?

If it is 10 years for drink driving what is it for murder? Instant execution by "Judges"?

Can you imagine the uproar if they set the limit to 0? Setting it to 250 is effectively the same (it is difficult to have a drink and safely be below 250 anyway) while being far less unpopular than setting it to 0.

While I agree with the sentiment that drink driving is bad your arguments are quickly descending into an authoritarian dystopia.

Sideface

9366 posts

Uber Geek

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

#1256440 11-Mar-2015 16:41

wasabi2k: While I agree with the sentiment that drink driving is bad your arguments are quickly descending into an authoritarian dystopia.

Sideface

Geese

1028 posts

Uber Geek
Inactive user

#1256485 11-Mar-2015 17:18

Geektastic: OOI what is to stop a drunk from getting a sober person to blow into the alcohol interlock device to spoof it?

Also, is any offence punished with less than 10 demerits? If not, why not just make it a total of 10 instead of 100 and 10 demerits = 1?

A sober person could do as you say, but the device also randomly while driving asks for a breath test sample otherwise it shuts the car off. I don't really know much about this alcohol interlocks thing to be honest, but I do wonder what happens if it wants a sample on middle of motorway and fails - does car just roll to a stop in the middle of the motorway?

I guess 50 demerits has my psychological impact that 5. Even if it meant the same thing.

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7