No booze or you will be fined, teen drivers told

A "zero-tolerance" policy will fine teenage drivers $200 and 50 demerit points if they have any alcohol at all in their system.

The Herald has learned that the Land Transport (Road Safety and Other Matters) Amendment Bill will penalise young drink drivers even if their alcohol level is lower than the present youth limit.

That limit is 150 micrograms of alcohol per litre of breath, or 30 milligrams of alcohol per 100 millilitres of blood (referred to as 0.03).

Anyone under 20 who drives with higher alcohol levels will face the same penalties as other over-the-limit drink-drivers.

Critics say the fine and demerit points punishment is not severe enough to deter teenage drink-drivers.

But Transport Minister Steven Joyce defended the bill, saying it had always set out a punishment of a ticket and demerits for youths with "low" alcohol levels.

"Fifty demerit points is halfway to a mandatory disqualification with 100 demerit points," he said. "It's significant."

Alcohol Healthwatch director Rebecca Williams supported the penalties because she believed they would make police more likely to enforce the law without bogging down the criminal system.

A "quick sharp kick in the pants" would be all some teenagers needed to change their behaviour and avoid a criminal conviction at a young age.

Labour transport spokeswoman Darien Fenton said she was deeply concerned about the bill and how quickly it was being pushed through Parliament.

"I would have thought there would be something serious to really discourage young people ... It doesn't sound like a deterrent to me," she said.

Automobile Association spokesman Mike Noon said the "sensible tolerance" of 0.03 allowed for teens who might have done the right thing by sleeping alcohol off before driving but had been caught with residual alcohol on their breath the morning after.

Catherine Peary, whose daughter Amy-Rose Allen died five months ago while drink-driving as an alcoholic aged 22, was astounded to learn of the fines.

"That is too soft. They need to toughen up," she said. "You've got to be cruel to be kind. We can't put cotton wool around our children any more. The law has got to be hard and tough ... They need to learn lessons."

CRIME AND PUNISHMENT

THE LIMIT

150 micrograms of alcohol per litre of breath or 30 milligrams of alcohol per 100 millilitres of blood.

THE PUNISHMENT

Now:

Drivers aged under 20 who are under the limit are free to drive away.

Proposed bill:

Those who test positive within the limit will be fined $200 and 50 demerit points.

* Make a submission on the bill before October 21 at parliament.govt.nz