Alcohol & Drugs
About This Project
The law says you must not drive if the amount of alcohol in your blood or breath exceeds certain age-related limits. These limits are shown below.
Under 20
There is a zero alcohol limit if you are under 20. That means if you drive after consuming even one drink you can be charged with drink driving.
20 or over
You must not drive if you have consumed more than the legal alcohol limit, which is 250 micrograms per litre of breath or 50 milligrams per 100 millilitres of blood.
If you’ve been drinking, call a taxi, take a bus or get someone who hasn’t been drinking, such as a friend or dial-a-driver, to drive you home.
Current Roadsafe Taranaki Alcohol/Drug Driving projects
Drive Straight
Drive Straight Taranaki is an education programme for those who have been convicted of multiple drinking-driving offences or those with a blood alcohol reading that is twice the legal limit. It is a 10-hour intensive course aimed at helping individuals make better decisions to not drink and drive.
Drive Straight Taranaki is funded through Roadsafe Taranaki and there is no cost for attendees. Referrals can be accepted from the Police, the Court, lawyers, NZTA, alcohol and other drug services or by individuals keen to address their drink-driving problems. Clients attend an initial assessment and then a 10-hour programme set over two fully catered days. Post group support is offered.
4CARMEN
4 CARMEN is a 20 minute film produced by Roadsafe Taranaki to educate drivers about the consequences of drinking and driving.
The film tells the story of Carmen Rogers who was killed by a drunk driver in New Plymouth in May 2014 and the impacts of this tragedy on her family. The film is used throughout NZ in presentations to businesses, high schools, sporting and community groups.
If you are involved in your community, please help us to bring this important message to groups and families in your area by hosting a screening.
Fatal Vision Goggles
Fatal Vision Goggles are a hands-on tool that allows people to experience, with a sober mind, the effects of alcohol, drugs or fatigue. The sessions demonstrate how your balance, vision, reaction time and judgement can be affected, and are relevant to anyone who drives or operates machinery.
Guest Presenter
Roadsafe Taranaki utilises speakers that have a story to tell and who can talk to the audience about the consequences of alcohol or drug driving. Some of the speakers used in Taranaki include:
- Tamati Paul – Shattered Dreams. In 1998 Tamati became an Oceania World Champion in surf lifesaving, was selected in the Sydney Olympic squad and was accepted into the NZ Police training programme, all at the age of 24. In September 1998 his dreams were smashed when the vehicle he was driving was hit head on by a disqualified recidivist drunk driver, driving at well over 150 km per hour. Tamati was critically injured and his family were told he would not make it. Tamati did make it, however, the consequences of that crash and the quality of life Tamati now lives is obvious to those that see this presentation.
- Just another Saturday night. A programme developed in the Hawkes Bay after a horrific high speed crash on 1 December 2017 left two dead and two with lifelong injuries. Jared Thomas was the front seat passenger in a Nissan Cefiro car driven by Jared’s younger brother, Willy Flynn. It was Willy’s car and he loved it. He wouldn’t let anyone else drive it, no matter how much he had had to drink. Jared yelled at Willie to slow down. Willie responded with Watch me drift, Bro as he tapped the brakes and attempted to take a left hand bend at high speed. The consequences of that decision form the basis of this presentation.
