Guidelines on the Drink Driving Laws in NZ
19 January, 2022
Drink driving laws in NZ get stricter as the need for safer roads increases. New Zealand aims for zero road accidents by promoting safe and healthy road practices and managing alcohol-related driving. Police officers conduct roadside alcohol screenings with breathalysers to help improve safety and prevent drink driving accidents. An effective way for individuals to avoid an accident is to ensure they drive within the legal alcohol limits. BACtrack personal breathalysers can help with blood alcohol content (BAC) monitoring on the go. Moreover, these devices are highly accurate and reliable. Most BACtrack personal breathalysers use fuel cell sensors, the same technology you can find in a police officer’s breathalyser.
Understanding the drink driving laws in NZ is easy based on guidelines. Drink driving in NZ is classified based on the driver’s age and alcohol limit. Firstly, drivers under 20 years old have a 0.00% alcohol limit. Having a 0.00% alcohol limit means that drivers must not drive with any amount of alcohol in their system. You can receive hefty fines and demerit points if you show a positive BAC result in a breathalyser test. Secondly, drivers 20 and older have a legal limit of 0.05% BAC. A 0.05% BAC equals 0.05g of alcohol per 100ml of blood. New Zealand places these limits because high alcohol levels can impair the senses and perception necessary in driving a vehicle. High BAC levels can lead to blurred vision, slurred speech, poor coordination, poor balance, memory loss, and slow reaction time. As a result, it poses a considerable safety hazard on the road.
Drink Driving Laws in NZ: Penalties
Under the drink driving laws in NZ, you can receive hefty fines, license suspension and possible jail time based on your level of impairment. For example, with a BAC of 0.051-0.08%, you can receive an infringement notice and fifty demerit points. With a BAC of 0.081-0.15%, you get up to three months jail terms, a $4,500 fine, and six months to one-year license suspension. Lastly, the court can impose an alcohol interlock disqualification program for subsequent offences. A drink driving conviction costs a lot and could make life hard. Therefore, moderating alcohol consumption is the best way to avoid legal trouble. The BACtrack personal breathalysers are suitable devices to help you monitor your BAC levels. These devices only take 10 to 15 seconds to process your BAC results.
Knowing the drink driving laws in NZ is vital to reducing the likelihood of road accident involvement. You can be a part of the solution rather than a statistic by practising responsible consumption behaviour. BACtrack is the best long-term partner for road safety.
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