4 July 2005

Drink Driving Capital of Australia?

| johnboy
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The Pratt has put out a media release bemoaning the halfing of RBT’s in Canberra over recent years.

Perhaps the Stanhope Government is aiming to create a new slogan for the national capital: Drink Drive in Canberra and you’ll never get caught

ABC Online takes up the story with John Hargreaves claiming the police are just working smarter.

Surely the real question is are there more or less alcohol related accidents?

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Yes! I think that was the last place i was tested too! Twice in the one day. All those years ago. I’ve only ever seen them on that road in the late morning anyway….

I know. Last time I was tested was about 5 years ago as well.

And apparently they’re regularly up on Adelaide avenue on the weekends. So the drink drivers know not to go along that road.

I manage to see at least 3 or 4 cop cars a day driving around on the weekends and maybe catching the obvious crazies but i do find it strange that the last time i was breath tested was at least 5 years ago. And considering i go out at least 3- 4 nights a week….

What is also annoying is that when i see them, usually on the other side of a main road, it’s in the mornings. So they are more focused on catching the responsible people who didn’t drive drive the night before (perhaps) when they were drunk, but were still over the limit the next day.
They’re probably the poor unsuspecting people ‘meeting the targets’ as far as breath testing is concerned.
The irresponsible people on the other hand can do what they like at night cause the cops would rather be tucked up in bed.

Sorry, I was too busy speeding and driving maniacally to notice them…

But you’re right, an obvious presence is the best deterrent.

What is it with you and Public Transport?

hehe 😉 just kidding!

Thumper I know you weren’t having a crack at her, but I heard part of the interview and I was unimpressed with the line of questioning.

Samuel Gordon-Stewart3:26 pm 05 Jul 05

hehe, I was in a Taxi one day when it was pulled over for speeding. The driver didn’t have his licence with him either, so a half hour delay to verify that the driver was who he said he was and a free taxi ride for me.

I can’t remember what punishment the taxi driver got, but I do remember him trying to haggle his way out of it. I suspect that he hasn’t forgotten his licence since.

Samuel

I think you’ll find the last time you saw a policeman on the roads in Canberra was this lunchtime Thumper 🙂

Why is it that when a new person steps into an underperforming role the media immediately sets about trying to crucify them for the previous regimes mistakes?

Give her a chance (and some funding) and I’m sure it’ll come good.

Well, one of my housemates has managed to drive home from the Belconnen Soccer Club virtually legless on average 2 or 3 nights per week for the past 10 years, and he’s never been pulled over! The arsehole had a collision with a roadsign two weeks ago, so I think that’s taken the wind out of his sails! Maybe more roadsigns and roundabouts is the solution to the lack of Police? 🙂

Hargreaves claiming that the police are working smarter is just spin.

WEll the ACt has the least per capita in the nation.
I think one of the deterrents to DrinkDriving is the idea that the police might be lurking anywhere. Now that they have admitted they only pick a few obvious locations I think the deterrent is diluted.

Pratt also had another release out today saying that the police’s failure to arrest enogh people demonstrates their manpower shortage (or that’s the gist I got from my very brief read).

He also blamed lack of manpower for the halfing of RBTs.

it seems to me that, in the world of Pratt, any problems in society can be traced back to not enough police. At least, that’s all he ever seems to blah on about.

http://www.canberraliberals.org.au/default.cfm?action=news_detail&ID=4814

K

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