Page 4954 - Week 17 - Tuesday, 11 December 1990
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MOTOR TRAFFIC (ALCOHOL AND DRUGS) (AMENDMENT) BILL 1990
MR COLLAERY (Attorney-General) (4.47): Mr Speaker, I present the Motor Traffic (Alcohol and Drugs) (Amendment) Bill 1990. I move:
That this Bill be agreed to in principle.
Mr Berry: Why doesn't Craig Duby present this one?
MR COLLAERY: Mr Speaker, the ACT Motor Traffic (Alcohol and Drugs) Act, which is administered by me as Attorney-General, was introduced in 1977 and relates to persons who drive motor vehicles after consuming alcohol or drugs. This Bill introduces measures relating to alcohol and driving included in the Prime Minister's 10-point package of road safety initiatives. The initiatives were discussed by the Australian Transport Advisory Council, made up of Commonwealth, State and Territory road transport Ministers in May 1990, and were subsequently endorsed by the Alliance Government.
The Bill addresses three separate issues, namely: a lowering of the current .08 blood alcohol limit to .05 for all drivers; a further reduction to .02 for young drivers under 25 years during their first three years of driving; as well as a .02 level for heavy vehicle drivers, drivers of dangerous goods vehicles, and public vehicle drivers. All States and Territories have agreed to ensure that these measures are in place by 1 January 1991. As members will be aware, many States already have legislation relating to .05 for all drivers and zero or .02 for inexperienced drivers. However, the extension of the .02 limit to other categories of driver is a new initiative for all States and Territories.
These measures represent an important step towards reducing the road toll, both in the ACT and on a national basis. The Bill particularly targets those drivers who have been shown to be most at risk in road crashes; that is, the young inexperienced driver. From 1 January 1991, all drivers who are less than 25 years of age and who have held their licence for less than three years will be in breach of the law if they drive while having a blood alcohol concentration of .02 or above.
The Bill also focuses on drivers of heavy vehicles and drivers of vehicles which are carrying dangerous goods such as explosives or chemicals. Drivers of vehicles which exceed 15 tonnes gross vehicle mass and drivers of dangerous goods vehicles which exhibit or are required to exhibit a sign under the dangerous goods legislation will be subject to the blood alcohol concentration limit of .02 when driving such vehicles. Drivers of public vehicles, including vehicles which are being driven for hire and
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