[Sitting date: 27 November 2014. Volume:702;Page:12. Text is subject to correction.]

12. SARAH DOWIE (National—Invercargill) to the Associate Minister of Transport : How will the changes from 1 December, lowering the adult drink-driving limits, improve road safety?

Hon CRAIG FOSS (Associate Minister of Transport): Lower legal breath and blood-alcohol limits will help make our roads safer and save lives. From 1 December the legal alcohol limit for drivers aged 20 and over will lower from 400 to 250 micrograms of alcohol per litre of blood [Interruption]—the member may be quite interested in this—or from 80 to 50 milligrams of alcohol per 100 millilitres of blood, bringing New Zealand into line with the majority of OECD countries. The alcohol limit for drivers aged below 20 will remain at zero. Lowering the adult drink-driving limit sends a clear message and signal that consuming alcohol at high levels and then driving is unacceptable. The lower limit will help save lives and prevent serious injuries caused by drunk drivers.

Sarah Dowie : How do these changes fit in the Government’s Safer Journeys strategy?

Hon CRAIG FOSS : Reducing deaths and serious injuries from drink driving is a key plank of the Government’s Safer Journeys strategy, which looks across the entire road system to improve safety, through safer roads and roadsides, safer speeds, safer vehicles, and safer road use. To make people aware of these changes, a number of agencies are undertaking public information campaigns. Today the Minister of Police and I have launched the “Reach the Beach Safely This Summer” campaign, an initiative led by the New Zealand Police that will also highlight the lower drink-drive limit. Each individual has a responsibility to ensure their families and friends are informed and make the right decisions. As this brochure from the New Zealand Transport Agency says, be a legend: stop mates and family from driving drunk.

ENDS

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