5 August 2013

A mere six out of 34 drink drivers caught recidivists

| johnboy
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Thirty-four people were caught drink-driving on ACT roads last weekend (August 2-4), with six of those drivers being repeat offenders.

Twenty-one of the 34 drink-drivers caught were issued Immediate Suspension Notices. The highest reading recorded was 0.162 with a learner driver recording a reading of 0.138.

Officer-in-Charge of Traffic Operations Sergeant Mark Steel said the latest drink-driving results were alarming.

“It is completely unacceptable that these drivers should endanger the lives of others by flouting the law,” Sergeant Steel said.

“Impaired driving is a killer on our roads and affects the entire community. For so many people to drink-drive, and for six of them to be repeat offenders, should infuriate all other responsible road users.

“These motorists pose a significant risk to all road users and it’s apparent they have a complete disregard for the safety of those around them.

“With every police car equipped with breath testing equipment you can be caught anywhere, anytime. Our message is simple: drink or drive.”

Sergeant Steel said it is essential that drink-drivers are removed from our roads and has called on the community’s support.

“If you know of someone who drinks and drives or see someone that you believe is drink driving, call Police Operations on 131 444, and provide the details to our officers and we will investigate.”

[Courtesy ACT Policing]

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The basic problem with paralytic drunks is that the laws of the land are meaningless. Drunks will do what they want if they are capable of doing it irrespective of what laws exist in the ACT or Timbuktoo for that matter.

KR would have been better off upping the tax on grog to fill his black hole, that would have cut consumption a bit. Better still, do to grog what they have done to cigarettes, plain labeling, no advertising and 100% increase in the excise.

devils_advocate said :

I think that dispensation of summary justice by the executive arm of government is open to abuse and would invite injustice.

flame away.

No flames. Good point. But there is a problem here that the current conventional methods of deterrent and enforcement have not had enough success. But instant suspension of licence is often used when people take irresponsibility and stupidity with a motor vehicle to a new level now, so I am suggesting that this offence is in the same category. 🙂

devils_advocate12:15 pm 06 Aug 13

steveu said :

Personally I think anyone who is caught DUI should have their licence suspended on the spot, until their court appearance. Apologies can be handed out later if they somehow manage to beat the charge.

I’m not usually one to buy into the logical fallacy of the ‘slippery slope’ argument, mainly because it usually gets trotted out in favour of stupid stuff like drug prohibition policy (if we legalise one, we must legalise all!!! er, okay…)

BUT…
(let’s face it, you knew a but was coming)…

BUT..

I think that dispensation of summary justice by the executive arm of government is open to abuse and would invite injustice.

flame away.

bigred said :

Not sure I would ring that number and report a drink driver. Last time I did, they asked me what I wanted them to do about it. Pharque!!!!!

I hope that was a long time ago, and not representative of the attitude now.

I suspect the Brumbies Grand Final may have attracted a huge number of idiots who could not grasp the concept of the fact consuming alcohol + driving vehicle is a irresponsible and selfish act.

Personally I think anyone who is caught DUI should have their licence suspended on the spot, until their court appearance. Apologies can be handed out later if they somehow manage to beat the charge.

bigred said :

Anyone else get the feeling that the police road safety activities have failed. Every month they have a campaign such as mobile phones, speeding, nose picking and they continue to catch a disturbing sample of the miscreants who obviously have been at it for years and do not expect to be caught.

I think we are getting these higher numbers because the police are finally trying to get more arrests, even if it conflicts with some reporting metric. Some had been getting away with it for years, so no surprise they don’t expect to be caught.

bigred said :

Not sure I would ring that number and report a drink driver. Last time I did, they asked me what I wanted them to do about it. Pharque!!!!!

Last time I reported a drunk driver to the police sort of laughed it off, thought we were just trying to pull a prank on a mate.

I was dumbfounded that they didn’t even care, we even told them the type of car, rego number, route home he would have driven. My friend was begging them to do something about him as he’d never been busted and she was worried he would kill someone….

I was dumbfounded again when my friends hubby finally got home and passed out within seconds of getting home while trying to remove his shoes.

@Ozi

I unlike most peeps who are APATHETIC actually email pollies re issues which I believe need to be addressed. Obviously it’s very easy for the pollies to ignore a sole voice and palm off the concern that the individual has raised whereas if there are a substantial number then it’s a whole different ball game for it gets their attention.

If I was a cop patrolling the streets and constantly pulled over drunk drivers I wouldn’t just be expressing my views to the media I would take it much further even if that wasn’t part of my job description.

Here’s a recent example
http://the-riotact.com/gallagher-and-corbell-say-its-ok-to-use-deadly-force-in-self-defence/111240

bundah said :

If Sergeant Steel is so outraged that drink drivers don’t give a rats arse about the law then get proactive by getting all the plod to petition the legislature and judiciary insisting that they start taking this matter seriously rather than continuing their limp wristed approach.

Constantly whingeing about the same issue every month changes absolutely nothing.

Last time I checked the role of the Police wasn’t to lobby politicians to change laws / sentencing / who is chosen as a Magistrate. The role of Police has always been to gather evidence, put them before the Court, and then not get their hopes up about any sort of sentence being handed down.

It is the role of the grand public (yes, even you, bundah!) to get proactive about improving things.

Poor old bloody Mark Steel must have a right case of the s***s. Every week they go out and nick some bunch of mongrel drunk drivers. The next week they go out and nick pretty much the same selection of arsehats for the same thing. The next week is the same. And the next, and the next.

Some of these tools have been caught ten times or more, but nothing sensible (eg public disembowelling) happens to them, and they carry on regardless.

My heart goes out to Sgt Steel. Seriously.

If Sergeant Steel is so outraged that drink drivers don’t give a rats arse about the law then get proactive by getting all the plod to petition the legislature and judiciary insisting that they start taking this matter seriously rather than continuing their limp wristed approach.

Constantly whingeing about the same issue every month changes absolutely nothing.

Anyone else get the feeling that the police road safety activities have failed. Every month they have a campaign such as mobile phones, speeding, nose picking and they continue to catch a disturbing sample of the miscreants who obviously have been at it for years and do not expect to be caught. Personally, I am sick and tired of hearing/reading about these ongoing failures and expect something to be done.

Not sure I would ring that number and report a drink driver. Last time I did, they asked me what I wanted them to do about it. Pharque!!!!!

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