| All Australian states and territories have a limited | | | | seven times the risk National Road Safety Action |
| tolerance for people driving under the influence of | | | | Plan 2005-2006, Australian Transport Council)0.15 25 |
| alcohol. The threshold is a Blood Alcohol Content | | | | times the risk BAC is a measure of the amount of |
| (BAC) of 0.05 in all states and territories for drivers | | | | alcohol (source: RTA NSW 2005) in a person’s |
| on their full licence. Probationary licence holders are | | | | blood: the number of grams of alcohol in 100 milliliters |
| not permitted to have any trace of alcohol in their | | | | of blood e.g. a BAC Novice drivers who have any |
| blood when driving. Penalties for breaching these laws | | | | alcohol in their of 0.05 means 0.05 grams or 50 |
| are severe. | | | | milligrams blood are at a much higher risk of crashing, |
| Drivers who admit to Drink-Driving: | | | | of alcohol in every 100 millilitres of blood. which is why |
| ? Four in 10 drivers (37 per cent) admit to having | | | | they are restricted to a zero As a driver’s BAC |
| driven when over the legal drink-drive limit. | | | | increases, so too does their alcohol limit (source: RTA |
| ? Most men aged 35-54 (52 per cent) say they have | | | | NSW 2005)risk of being involved in a crash: |
| probably driven when over the legal drink-drive limit | | | | Fact Sheet - Drink Driving: |
| – the highest of all age groups surveyed; women | | | | ? Approximately one in six drivers (15 per cent) says |
| aged 55 years or older are the least likely to have | | | | that sometimes when they have been drinking, they |
| done this . | | | | have taken a different route to avoid being |
| ? The Northern Territory, more than any other state | | | | breathalysed. |
| territory, has a higher proportion of drink drivers. | | | | ? Men are twice as likely as women to take a |
| ? Drivers of utility vehicles are the most likely to say | | | | different route to avoid being breathalysed. |
| they have driven when probably over the drink-drive | | | | ? Younger men, Tasmanian and Northern Territory |
| limit, followed by 4WD drivers (58 per cent and 40 | | | | drivers are more likely to engage in this behaviour |
| per cent respectively) (source: 2007 AAMI Crash | | | | (source: 2007 AAMI Crash Index). |
| Index). | | | | ? Nearly half of all drivers (45 per cent) says that |
| ? One in 10 drivers (9 per cent) believes it is OK for | | | | after a night of heavy drinking, they have been |
| them to drink and drive after a few drinks, so long | | | | concerned that they have been over the limit when |
| as they feel capable. | | | | driving the following day. |
| ? Men and Tasmanian drivers are the most likely to | | | | ? Men, particularly young men, are the most likely to |
| agree that they should be able to drive after a few | | | | be worried about their blood alcohol content (BAC) |
| drinks, so long as they feel capable (source: 2007 | | | | the day after a night of heavy drinking. |
| AAMI Crash Index). | | | | ? Young women are also more likely to be worried |
| Sep 2008 | | | | than their older counterparts. |
| Approximately 26 per cent of drivers and 0.05 double | | | | ? Northern Territory drivers are the least worried |
| the risk motorcycle riders killed on Australian roads | | | | about being over the BAC limit the next day (source: |
| have a BAC higher than the legal limit (source: 0.08 | | | | 2007 AAMI Crash Index). |