The Victorian state government have just passed some devilishly brutal new laws for drunk drivers.
Fines and driving bans definitely suck a lot, but they didn’t seem quite harsh enough to deter people. So now, if you drink and drive in Victoria, the government might actually take away your car if you’re caught with a blood-alcohol level of 0.10 (double the legal limit).
“In the past people might have seen this as a bit harsh but I think we’ve got to a point where Victorians would have little tolerance for people blowing 0.10,” Police Minister Wade Noonan told 3AW radio.
Australian Road Safety Foundation CEO Russell White said, “Most people don’t think about the risk of drink-driving, they more worry about getting caught, so when you throw in that extra incentive, impounding the car is a pretty clear line in the sand.” White also said he believed there’d be support for similar crackdowns across other states.
It also doesn’t matter if the car belongs to you. It doesn’t matter whether you were driving your mates car, or your mum and dad’s car, or a rental car when you were caught over the limit, the car will be impounded regardless. It’ll be taken away for the same length of time as your driving ban, which for a first offence committed by someone with a full driving license, is approximately: 10 months in Victoria, 9 months in Queensland, 12 months in NSW, 6+ months in SA, 7+ months in WA, and 12 months in NT.
It’s a very strange idea that losing tangible items deters us from drink driving more than the idea of killing someone or losing our own lives, but there you are.
Don’t drink drive please guys. We say this because we love you, and we think you’re dope as hell. You can take a taxi, an Uber, a train or a bus; just don’t get behind the wheel after drinking booze. Okay? Cool. Let’s hug this out.
via News Corp
Image via Department of Roads & Maritime NSW
