Quality of life!

Gday Kirk,
I agree 100%
I think they have forgotten why the laws were made. I thought they were there so you could prosecute someone for being dangerous not so you can fine someone for accidently creeping over a limit?
If they were serious about road safety they would be prosecuting people for being dangerous, not for not being perfect...........

Cheers

That view is common to thousands of normal people, especially if you are old enough to remember how different it was three or four decades ago! I agree with your view BUT.. The problem is there were less people back then, hence a more relaxed life. In 1973 when I got my drivers licence, there were 13 million people and Sydney's population was 3.5 million. In 1973 only about 70% of homes in Sydney had one vehicle and most young women didn't get their licence till years after they could and many back then, never bothered at all.Sydney's population has doubled and if now we drive around anywhere and we see two three four five vehicles in each driveway, more vehicles on the road, more congestion so more rules need to be implemented and enforced. If we didn't have breath testing and radar and modern ways of keeping us under control, we would have an enormous road toll today! The road death toll is much lower these days compared to years gone by due to modern vehicles, breath testing and other electronic advancements I mentioned earlier despite the many times more cars on the road. Unfortunately that's progress!! Great post all the same! Michael

Yes yes yes......we most definitely live in a nanny state......but the problem is not that its all about the minority.

Back before the police where so heavy handed with drink driving there where a hell of a lot of people who where driving while they where in no fit state to do so.
Back in the 60's and 70's ya chances of getting caught drink driving where pretty slim, particarly in the low range.

There where a hell of a lot of people who thaught they " coud handle it" and if the took it easy it was all right.

I am old enogh to remember and old enough to know plenty of people who used to drive home knowing they where over the 0.08 as it was in the day.

The truth is, a lot of people got killed and a hell of a lot more got injured as a direct result of drunk driving.

Remember...I do....this issue was not a problem of the very small minority, this was a very common problem....and one that very much impacts on the majority.


Likewise back before the 90's, workplace health and safety was a very hap hazard concept. There where only a very few companies that took worker safety seriuolsy.
There where also a lot of people out there who where reckless in the extreeme with their own and other peoples safety.

I gree that things have swung a little too far and some of the safety outllooks are rediculously risk adverse.

But this is a result of a very common and regular disregard for peoples safety that resukted in many deaths and injuries.

The figures and the reality on hearing loss alone are stagering....get into the heavy trades and occupations like boilermaking, earth moving and heavy transport, it is the exception rather than the rule to find someone in their fifties or sixties with hearing healthy for their age.

These days is it unusual to see people walking arround with obvious signs of industrial injury. Back when I was a young bloke in school and moving into the work force it was far from uncommon to see fathers and brothers of mates and older tradesmen I worked under with missing fingers & toes, eye patches or glass eyes or massive uggly scars from industrial accidents

Yegh we live in a nanny state, because there is a large portion of our community have proven that are not capable of taking the responsibilities of an adult.

cheers

"I know I will get the tea drinkers and the do gooders raving on but I think most will agree. Don't come on here and say don't break the law and you won't be penalised because that's not what I want to here. I am interested to know opinions"
Kirk
Tea drinkers and do gooders have opinions/wants/dreams and aspirations as well if you are asking for peoples opinions don't try and be selective as all you will get is your own opinion sent back at you or is that what you want so you can justify some behaviour as being normal.

I too like a social drink unfortunately it has been proven that alcohol impairs what would be classed as normal brain and body function. So the powers that be have chosen a level that they class as being the minimum before the general population would start to suffer some level of impairment and have set that. We share the road with all other users both those that like to drink and those that don't, it is not going to become less congested or less busy so it is mainly just a balancing act.
I agree that the proliferation of road signs and directions make it more "confusing" than it should be but that is just another indication that there needs to be some form of control used, control the amount of signs and where they are put. Just the same as some form of control over a drivers ability to drive with any sort of intoxicating substance in their blood.
Just recently they published figures over the easter long weekend and it was stated that 13,000 had been caught speeding but no clarification or breakdown on those figures so it makes it sound like that they were all speed demons.
That's my opinion
Personally

Well I think we all agree that we are perhaps slightly over governed and maybe we should all give those minority guys that clip under the ear but then that's not allowed either is it lol? I was starting to think it was just me. I feel reassured now. Not.

I agree with most comments on this subject. Motorists are over governed and are used as "cash cows", all under the banner of safety. If they were genuinely concerned about safety then the fines would be less and the penalty points would be higher to get he bad and dangerous drivers off the roads.
We all know that will never happen as they would loose too much revenue. It wasn't that long ago that NSW motorists were given an extra point because too many were loosing their licenses.
I don't blame the law makers, the politicians, or the Police. I blame ourselves. We Australians have a very bad habit of siting back and thinking... "she'll be right mate". Unfortunately it wont be right mate unless we all get off our arses and be heard. Write to your local and state politicians and be heard. They don't like risking votes when elections are near.
Capt.

This is exactly the sort of feedback I was expecting. Yes as layback Aussies we are to "she be right mate" and we don't stand up for our rights. Boat people do better than us. Nothing against lawfull immigration.

THEY have been eroding our rights away for years. Bit by bit by bit. That's how THEY operate. Saves them making immediate hard decisions and losing votes. Unfortunately Australians have lost the ANZAC spirit and just lie down and accept a beating these days.

I have to agree, we should give special exemptions to oldies "who can handle it" and allow them to drive when over the limit. Sounds reasonable. Why stop at oldies? You say you can't go on a picnic and have a few quiet ones. Why not? Millions of Aussies do it regularly. There's no reason at all to sit at home, you can have a completely normal social live while obeying laws and not being a danger to other people.

We regularly see comments about the nanny state and being over-governed. The same people invariably whinge loudly when they think their rights (as determined by the very same governers) are infringed. Consistency's rarely one of their great attributes. Speaking of consistency, I like yours. You don't condone drink driving or speeding but apparently think there should be some laxity in the application of the law, for some people. Sounds awfully selective and anti-social to me.

I really don't understand why threads like these are permitted on this site.

Kirk,
If you really want to know about being able to drive home after having a couple or three (drunk responsibly ,of course) just ask a parent whose only child was killed by someone who thought that he could drive safely after a few, or a new widow whose partner was wiped out because he thought that his mate was safe to drive after having a few after work.

In today's society, where not being responsible for your actions is the norm and not the exception, it is necessary to have rules that infringe on your freedom to do what you like, not only to protect other from you but also to protect you from yourself.

Whether you (or me for that matter) like it or not we need rules/guidelines and fines/penalties to control the behaviour of the population as a whole

If there were no rules total anarchy would exist basically because everyone would do totally as they wanted and bugga the others.

Disco.

Tea drinkers, do gooders and fun police...really? Laws are made by smart people from information provided by other smart people. There are more people, more cars and a much lower road toll. The smart people are doing it right. Everyone still gets an opinion though.

A few after work a little bit over the limit but you know your ok to drive . I have never heard anything so bloody dumb .

If I had my way it would be 0.00 for everyone

regards Jacko

Many years ago in the late 60's or early 70's the RACQ did some research on accidents and drinking.

They found that people who had a couple of beers after work had less accidents at that time of day than those who went straight home. There finding was inconclusive because of the variables. These variables were.

The driver who had a couple was more relaxed and had vented about anything that had bugged him during the day, and there was less traffic by the time the driver got on the road in his mellow state of mind. He also was not rushing to get home.

Me, I don't care, as I have had to blow 0.00 for many years now and I still manage to have a beer with no problems.

One of the greatest side effects of alcohol on the brain is, the more you have the more you think you can drive safely.

This thread proves one thing.
Never argue with an idiot.
He will beat you hands down with experience
Daz

Hey guys. I'm not an idiot. This thread has been completely turned around from my initial post and intention of the thread. If you read it you will see I'm not for drink driving at all. A few beers is just 2 beers and that's all we are allowed to have anyway. My whole initial question was about how we are over policed and intimidated on the roads by all these revenue raisers etc. I don't mind police presence but not when they are hiding behind a bush with a hair dryer and get you for a few km over when you are driving with the flow of the traffic. Anyway I didn't mean to upset anyone. It was just an honest question. Cheers.

" I'm not very smart " reckon that's about right