Alac welcomes zero drink-drive level for under 20s

File photo / Northern Advocate

The Alcohol Advisory Council (Alac) has welcomed the Government's commitment to a zero alcohol level for drivers under 20.

Council chief executive Gerard Vaughan said Alac had been pushing for some time for a zero limit for young drivers, who are currently have a 30mg blood alcohol limit.

He said the council would also like to see the current limit of 80mg per 100ml of blood for adult drivers reduced to 50mg.

"The amount you can drink under the current regime is ridiculously high," Mr Vaughan said.

"It allows a man of average height and weight to consume six standard drinks within 90 minutes - about three-quarters of a bottle of wine.

"For a woman it allows four standard drinks to be consumed - about half a bottle of wine."

Transport Minister Steven Joyce confirmed today the Government intended imposing a zero alcohol level on drivers under 20.

He said the move was part of a package aimed at reducing the road death toll, which was 60 per cent higher per capita than Australia's.

The package is still to be signed off by the Cabinet, but Mr Joyce said it was likely to get through.

"We do need to take a systematic approach to the issues around young people dying on our roads," he said.

There would also be proposals in the package covering drivers up to age 24, he said.

- NZPA