Minimum drinking age of 21 saves lives, study finds

[RantyDave]

his attitude extends to getting in a car with someone that has had a drink.

This was the only hard and fast rule ever applied to me when I was a teenager. My mum - smart woman - knew how to make a point when it mattered.

Dave

[Mom]

This was the only hard and fast rule ever applied to me when I was a teenager. My mum - smart woman - knew how to make a point when it mattered.

Dave

See now, I think you have hit the nail fair and square on the head there. Kids need to know what is ok and what is not, and what is totally not acceptable in any circumstances. Hells teeth, my kids even told me they used me as their excuse for not doing something that was not right. My Mom is a bitch, you have no idea what she is like! I told them, blame me, make me be the baddy! It works, I could care less what some dick kid thinks about me, but I knew my kids were safe.

[rwh]

I once knew a fellow who drove without a drivers license.....

You still need to enforce it, of course.

Richard

[Swoop]

A vicious cycle.

Alcohol makes people appear beautiful,
So, now even ugly teenagers can get laid,
so, more teenage pregnancy,
More dole/dpb bludgers,
= Just what the looney labourite sect need - more voters for them!

[Genestho]

Woa, when I posted this newly released American study I didn’t expect so much controversy, wow.
Interesting to see so much debate! Good stuff! Cheers!!

The stats provided by MOT show that 32% of road fatalities for the age group 15-19 have alcohol/drugs as the contributing factor.
The interesting stats start from the 20-24 age group – 46% of road fatalities in this group have alcohol/drugs as a contributing factor.
The percentage then jumps to 51% alcohol/drugs being the contributing factor for the next age group 25-29

I personally believe as has been said here in this thread, at the age of 18 if you can vote, fight for your country, and get married then you should be entitled to a drink. I also believe that teens will find another way to purchase alcohol if the age was lifted. Haven’t they always?

The facts are that 184 drink drivers took 103 passengers with them and another 72 road users with them in the years 2004 – 2006.

359 people unnecessarily lost their lives in preventable road smashes.

The police and sentences (which could be more stiffly imposed, the laws are available – maximum sentence for drink driving after 2nd conviction is two years…) clean up our mess.

I’ve been given some new research figures, at any one time in NZ we have 8000 recidivst drink drivers on our roads and 30,000 disqualified drivers….scary

We need to be responsible for ourselves, our friends and family – who drink and then drive.

[alanzs]

Drink driving laws should be made much stricter. 1st offense, lose your licence for one year and the car you were driving permanently, go to jail for a month, mandatory alcohol awareness courses for one year, $20,000 fine. After that, the sentences should get substantially more punitive.
Treat any fatality that occurs while drink driving as voluntary manslaughter, minimum sentence 15 years, no parole, sentences should be served consecutively for multiple fatalities.
Yeah, right!

[Forest]

With a voting age of 18, it's hard to mount any reasoned argument why other issues relating to legal franchise or personal liberties should be any different.

The issue is more to do with attitudes towards the consumption of alcohol, rather than any nominal age restriction.

I agree with this. The problem is essentially one of cultural immaturity.

[Dave Lobster]

The stats provided by MOT show that 32% of road fatalities for the age group 15-19 have alcohol/drugs as the contributing factor.
The interesting stats start from the 20-24 age group – 46% of road fatalities in this group have alcohol/drugs as a contributing factor.
The percentage then jumps to 51% alcohol/drugs being the contributing factor for the next age group 25-29

Curious then that 'speed' is rammed down out throat as the number one cause of crashes, and policed accordingly.

[sidecar bob]

Curious then that 'speed' is rammed down out throat as the number one cause of crashes, and policed accordingly.

Thats an easy one to answer.
You cant point a device at an oncoming car that will tell you exactly how pissed or disqualified the driver is.
Maybe when they introduce compulsory personal microchipping that will change.

[CB ARGH]

Nothing will stop them. Just because they're not allowed to doesn't mean they won't do it. Doing bad stuff is cool these days.

Instead of taking the alcohol away, EDUCATE them.

[avgas]

Young, alcohol, vehicles are a combination that was always set to destruction.
However i ask you, at what point is the law responsible, before, or after the parents provide all 3 in combination to society?
"Its not my fault" i hear far to often these days.

[avgas]

Nothing will stop them. Just because they're not allowed to doesn't mean they won't do it. Doing bad stuff is cool these days.

So you rape children, enjoy gay anal, murder small animals, rob banks, gamble, drink 500 cups off coffee a day, set vehicles on fire and dance the macarena?
All of these things are stuff you should not do, some are not allowed - all are considered "bad stuff". I'm sorry i understand what you are saying - but it is society that has made the rebel look 'cool'. However things can change - look at smoking?

[Genestho]

Drink driving laws should be made much stricter. 1st offense, lose your licence for one year and the car you were driving permanently, go to jail for a month, mandatory alcohol awareness courses for one year, $20,000 fine. After that, the sentences should get substantially more punitive.
Treat any fatality that occurs while drink driving as voluntary manslaughter, minimum sentence 15 years, no parole, sentences should be served consecutively for multiple fatalities.
Yeah, right!

I believe that drink driving laws should be stricter, we should know better these days! And if we dont then we should learn the hard way!!!

I like the idea of loosing cars permanently, but do you know it all comes down to how many votes will be lost?
If they take cars they'll loose votes! And I have been told this in no uncertain terms..I like Jail time as a wakeup call - and especially to protect other road users!

But there is a bigger picture here, no matter how much we may want tougher sentencing in all areas, theres not enough space, not enough prisons, costs too much to build more. I believe there are other ways to get around that too...

The interesting thing is that if there was more attention paid to the 85% in jails that are drug or alcohol dependant - we may free the prisons up.

The other thing is that if we expect Jail alone to be a detterent, we are wrong. Drink driving may be cured by stricter sentences but recidivism wont.

So I am also all for long term mandatory alcohol awareness AND psychological assesment..and Interlocking Devices as part of this long term program.

I have been passed on information that just last week the Government has directed officials from the Ministry of Transport and a number of other relevant Government agencies to undertake a comprehensive review of
processes relating to section 65 of the Land Transport Act 1998 (this
is the legislation that relates to "indefinitely disqualified" drivers).

Ive put my two cents worth forward to the person running the review...it'll be interesting to see what comes of this..

[NOMIS]

Lower the age to 16...then we can see all these boy racers take emselves out....no more boy racers!

Thats got to be the dumbest thing ive read on kiwibiker .. evverr ( im hoping your joking )

I would applause the government to raise the drinking age.. 25 would suit me Fine.. :-) New Zealanders drink to much i was one of thoes idiots who complimented my self on how much I could knock back and all kiwis are the same. Stupid

[Genestho]

As a result of recommendations from multi-agency work that was presented to Cabinet last week (2 July), the Ministry of Transport has been directed to undertake a comprehensive review of s65 of the Land Transport Act 1998, and to look at the possible use of alcohol interlocks in vehicles for repeat drink drivers in New Zealand. The Ministry of Transport will be leading this work and will take a multi-agency approach to it.

The scope of the review has not yet been agreed, but it is likely to incorporate looking at the information that is given to offenders about accessing treatment, and earlier intervention for first and second time drink drivers (although this is not covered by s65).

The Ministry has been asked to report back to Cabinet on this work by the end of September 2008.