All Australian states and territories have a limited tolerance for people driving under the influence of alcohol. The threshold is a Blood Alcohol Content (BAC) of 0.05 in all states and territories for drivers on their full license. Probationary license holders are not permitted to have any trace of alcohol in their blood when driving. Penalties for breaching these laws are severe.
Drivers who admit to Drunk-Driving:
* Four in 10 drivers (37%) admit to having driven when over the legal drink-drive limit.
* Most men aged 35-54 (52%) say they have probably driven when over the legal drink-drive limit – the highest of all age groups surveyed; women aged 55 years or older are the least likely to have done this .
* The Northern Territory, more than any other state/territory, has a higher proportion of drink drivers.
* Drivers of utility vehicles are the most likely to say they have driven when probably over the drink-drive limit, followed by 4WD drivers (58% and 40% respectively) (source: 2007 AAMI Crash Index).
* One in 10 drivers (9%) believes it is OK for them to drink and drive after a few drinks, so long as they feel capable.
* Men and Tasmanian drivers are the most likely to agree that they should be able to drive after a few drinks, so long as they feel capable (source: 2007 AAMI Crash Index). Sep 2008
Approximately 26% of drivers and 0.05 double the risk motorcycle riders killed on Australian roads have a BAC higher than the legal limit (source: 0.08 seven times the risk National Road Safety Action Plan 2005-2006, Australian Transport Council)0.15 25 times the risk BAC is a measure of the amount of alcohol (source: RTA NSW 2005) in a person’s blood: the number of grams of alcohol in 100 milliliters of blood e.g. a BAC Novice drivers who have any alcohol in their of 0.05 means 0.05 grams or 50 milligrams blood are at a much higher risk of crashing, of alcohol in every 100 milliliters of blood. which is why they are restricted to a zero As a driver’s BAC increases, so too does their alcohol limit (source: RTA NSW 2005)risk of being involved in a crash:
Fact Sheet – Drunk Driving:
* Approximately one in six drivers (15%) says that sometimes when they have been drinking, they have taken a different route to avoid being breathalysed.
* Men are twice as likely as women to take a different route to avoid being breathalysed.
* Younger men, Tasmanian and Northern Territory drivers are more likely to engage in this behaviour (source: 2007 AAMI Crash Index).
* Nearly half of all drivers (45%) says that after a night of heavy drinking, they have been concerned that they have been over the limit when driving the following day.
* Men, particularly young men, are the most likely to be worried about their blood alcohol content (BAC) the day after a night of heavy drinking.
* Young women are also more likely to be worried than their older counterparts.
* Northern Territory drivers are the least worried about being over the BAC limit the next day (source: 2007 AAMI Crash Index).