Know your limit and drive safe - Online calculator launched

21 December 2014

Know your limit and drive safe

A free calculator to help people figure out whether they are under the new lower legal limit for drink driving was released yesterday by Ora Safety.

"With the new lower legal drink drive limit coming into force earlier this month it is important for people to know their limits so they can drive safely," Ora Safety Co-founder Jackson Wood said.

"The calculator will give people an indication, based on how much they've had to drink, whether they are over the new limit or not."

The new lower blood alcohol content limits of 250mcg (50mg/100ml of blood) for drivers aged 20 and over came into force on 1 December and Wood says many people are unsure about what this means in practise.

"Our calculator means people can play around and see if they'll be okay to drive after a few drinks at Christmas lunch," Wood said.

"Or they'll be able to pull out their phone at the pub and check just to make sure."

Ora, a Wellington-based startup in the Ākina Foundation's Launchpad programme, is making New Zealand workplaces safer by working on ways to reduce the risk of accidents from impairment.

"We want to see New Zealanders get home safely from work and the pub. This calculator empowers people to make good decisions around their drinking and will mean more people drive safe," Wood said.

"When we've been testing the calculator, everyone has been surprised with how little they can now drink.

"People have found our calculator useful because it is more tailored to what and how they've been drinking and their personal circumstances than generic advice."

People can figure out whether they need to catch a taxi at bac.ora.sh

The calculator uses a modified Widmark formula to provide an estimate of blood alcohol content and intoxication levels. People should err on the side of caution if they have consumed alcohol and are thinking about driving.

ENDS

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