Petition - Make Alcohol Ignition Interlock Devices Compulsory to Stop Drink Driving

alikazi on 05/02/2020 - 12:57
Last edited 06/02/2020 - 11:58

I started this petition just now. I am interested in knowing your opinion on this. Do you think we should make alcohol ignition interlock devices mandatory? Please read before voting here, sign the petition if you agree and leave comments. Thanks.
https://www.change.org/p/everyone-make-alcohol-ignition-inte…

Edit: Alright that didnt take long to get the votes rolling. I hadnt expected it to be a overwhelming Yes or No, I simply wasnt sure and was curious to check out the opinions.
I should address some of the very common comments here:

  • How does this system tell that the person who blew in there is the person driving? Or that it's not blown in by balloon? Or via a pipe blown by the passenger?
    The current devices are not equipped with facial recognition, but clearly we have good facial recognition technology in our phones for years now. If fitting these devices was driven by legislation, the devices that would be installed will have facial recognition to counter all of the above hacks.

  • What happens when the device asks for a "during trip" test sample and you refuse? Does the device disable the vehicle while travelling at 110kph?
    No. If you fail a running test then it will sound the alarm or horn and flash lights until you stop driving. The car will keep running so you can pull over.

  • In the future it may become a cost effective technology, but then futile because autonomous vehicles will solve these concerns.
    I disagree that self driving cars will become common so quickly. The infrastructure needed to get automated cars to work at their best is massive. 5G and 6G are going to help cars communicate with each other, but they will also need to be connected to the "grid" itself - the cars will need to know when there's an accident on the way, they need to be connected to all signals to know whether they are red, yellow or green and make appropriate decisions. Its a LOT of work still to be done for automated cars to become a common reality.
    Also, I really dont think people are simply going to give up driving. Car/motorcycle enthusiasts will resist automated cars, I guarantee it.
    Additionally it is only going to need a few tragic accidents where automated cars killed children or people and you'll see growing resistance to them.

Poll Options expired

  • 56
    Yes
  • 867
    No
  • 5
    Not sure
Automotive

Comments

  • jimdotpud on 07/02/2020 - 12:57

    No…FTS

  • Godric on 07/02/2020 - 13:23
    +1

    Mandatory X days in the year to take off work to get it recalibrated/maintance, with hundreds of $$ spent each time, yeah nah.

  • Trioboy on 07/02/2020 - 13:55
    +2

    We need less regulation in this country, not more.

  • petry on 07/02/2020 - 14:21

    never happen - 2 many rich and powerful drink and drive including pollies.

    • CMH on 07/02/2020 - 14:23

      You'd be as deluded as the OP if you think that's the only reason
      …or the main reason
      …or even a significant reason

      this isn't going to happen…

      Not saying it will happen, I'm saying it won't happen due to many other reasons, all of which would make more sense and carry more weight than a pollie full of hot air.

  • CocaKoala on 07/02/2020 - 14:25

    LOL.

  • OzzyOzbourne on 07/02/2020 - 14:43

    How many people are killed on the roads by people who are not over the bac limit?

  • iTaco on 07/02/2020 - 15:46
    +1

    Yeah nah.
    People need to learn to control themselves. If they can't do that harsher penalties need to be imposed and actioned on.
    Just start shooting these people who can't follow simple rules

  • imurgod on 07/02/2020 - 16:13

    Drink driving should carry a minimum penalty of 30 days prison for first time low range and mandatory 12 months prison minimum for medium-high range and repeat offenders.

  • Crosscade on 07/02/2020 - 16:24
    -1

    This is tackling the problem all wrong.

    Instead of investing billions of dollars in interlocks, the money would be much better spent on improving roads to provide a more forgiving road environment. A road environment with wider shoulders and verges, less obstacles in the clearway, the physical separation of opposing vehicles, and improved pedestrian facilities does a much better job of not only improving the survivability of drunk driver crashes, but prevents a lot of crashes from happening entirely, turning them into'near misses'.

    A forgiving road environment can address a lot of driver errors, including those caused by speeding, weather, inexperience, and drunk driving.

    • xuqi on 07/02/2020 - 19:47

      Nah, your way of thinking is all wrong.

      A drunk AH is dangerous regardless of how improved the road surface is.

    • Euphemistic on 07/02/2020 - 19:51

      The billions of dollars on interlocks (that won’t really be billions) would go nowhere near fixing ALL the roads to modern safety standards. We already spend billions on improving roads. Doubling it would help, but since they don’t fix half the roads every year, doubling it won’t make a lick of difference.

      Fixing drivers to cope with varying conditions is a much better solution. However, we currently hand out a licence with the cornflakes and then the only retesting you do for the next 50 years is an eye test every renewal. Sriver training (and responsibility) is woeful in this country.

  • voiletmay on 07/02/2020 - 18:47
    -2

    I don't drink so doesn't worry me in the slightest LOL!! I bet only the non drinkers are going to vote yes LOL!!

    • Baysew on 07/02/2020 - 18:51
      +2

      OP wants compulsory interlock devices fitted to ALL cars. So even non-drinkers would be compelled to install the device.

      • voiletmay on 07/02/2020 - 19:16
        -1

        It would not worry me at all, I would be more concerned about it breaking and not being able to drive the car.

        But it's not going to happen, it's ridiculous in our culture.

        • gromit on 08/02/2020 - 17:06
          +3

          So you would happily pay a few thousand dollars for a device that has no benefit to you what so ever and be at risk of if it fails not being able to use your car?

  • Bunnyburger on 07/02/2020 - 20:28

    b-b-but 4 kids!

  • A Driver on 07/02/2020 - 23:47

    No

  • myusername on 08/02/2020 - 06:44
    +1

    how about banning cars instead?

  • conza on 08/02/2020 - 07:44
    +3

    I'm a hard no, but I have an alternative suggestion for you.

    Make it compulsory for everyone to have a breathalyser in their car, make it have nothing to do with their ignition or interfere with modifying their vehicle - in any single way - and if you get pulled over and you haven't done a reading, you may be fined if you're found to have been under the influence.

    If you do use it before you drive, then you can just show it to the officers to say 'look it's 0%'. Obviously if there's more than 1 person in the car they could be sober and you not, so in that case you'd need to be re-tested anyway, so you could just use your own device.

    Only about, a million times more acceptable, than this idea I'm sorry to say. Your motivation is good, implementation I can't agree with though, sorry.

  • shutuptakemymoney101 on 08/02/2020 - 10:29
    +2

    Instead of window washers at traffic lights it will be questionable adults wanting to blow into your interlock device.

    • myusername on 08/02/2020 - 11:13

      they could be dual purpose blowers yeah?

      2 for 1?

      • smux on 08/02/2020 - 11:22

        The 2 for 1s can be found in the back alley

        • myusername on 08/02/2020 - 11:26
          +1

          i'm looking for blow my interlock device and tyres lolololol

  • nurbsenvi on 08/02/2020 - 10:41

    Better off mandating Autopilot

    • Euphemistic on 08/02/2020 - 17:39

      Make the computer choose wether it runs over granny on the footpath or a pram on the road.

  • Wezzer on 08/02/2020 - 11:14

    An overwhelming No vote is what I would expect, this is a cost that each driver would incur, punishing those who abide by the law. I'm all for harsher punishment of impaired drivers though.

  • mirz on 08/02/2020 - 11:27

    Best is to make it 0.00 for all kind of motor vehicles driving for all ages. There is no need to create this confusion. Either you enjoy drinking/drugs or driving. Both shouldn’t go together.

    People just can’t guess their levels before driving. There is no point installing such devices. People will find workarounds to justify again and again.

    • Seaeagles on 08/02/2020 - 13:09
      +1

      Making it 0.00 is stupid, 99% of people can go out for a meal and have 1 drink and be well under the limit and drive home.
      The ones who drink and drive regularly will still do it no matter if the limit is 0.00, 0.05 or even raised to 0.10 as they don't care. Why punish everyone else for those who won't follow the rules anyway.

      There is no confusion, everyone knows 0.05 puts you over unless you are on L or P plates which is 0.00.
      Professional drivers have a lower limit which they know of.

      • CMH on 08/02/2020 - 13:33
        -1

        By making it 0.00 you completely dissociate alcohol from driving and make compliance and enforcement much simpler.

        Rather than having people guess if they are under the limit, people would start either not drinking, or making arrangements if they plan to drink.

        • Seaeagles on 08/02/2020 - 13:43

          If you have to start guessing if you are under then you don't drive, well that's how most people think.
          You have 1 drink with a meal over an hour you know you are well under, have 3 you know you are close so don't risk it.

          Go out to dinner and have 1 drink and then see a movie before driving home you could be 0.01 still, why should that be a crime.
          0.00 makes zero difference in the attitude of people who drink and drive regularly.

          • CMH on 08/02/2020 - 14:47
            -1

            @Seaeagles: Like I said it dissociates the activity from driving.

            If that's your argument then we could use the same for illicit drugs. One could have smoked a joint the night before, still have traces of cannabis in their system but it's a $1000 fine (I believe) and a license suspension.

            But the whole idea is that you don't do it and drive until it clears your system.

            • qwerty on 08/02/2020 - 16:45

              @CMH: You do know you can get a bac reading from food such as overripe fruit or a slice of bread

              • CMH on 08/02/2020 - 16:55

                @qwerty: Just like you could get an opiate reading from poppy seeds but the reading would be ridiculously low it wouldn't stand up in court.

                It won't pass an interlock, but it wouldn't give a significant reading unless you're talking about brandy infused fruit bread.

    • j0hnd0e on 08/02/2020 - 21:10

      So I can't drive after drinking a bottle of kombucha or eating a slice of tiramisu?

  • Plug on 08/02/2020 - 12:53
    +2

    Utterly stupid suggestion by the OP.

  • The Value on 09/02/2020 - 10:46

    Too expensive.

    Just make it INSTANT SUSPENSION of licence for a few months (regardless of demerit points/worse if you are on your last legs). Scary enough to prevent people from doing it and to those that do it, a good punishment that should scare them off from doing it again.

  • tonyjzx on 17/02/2020 - 23:59

    There was this story a while back about a rape on Norfolk Island. They knew the perpetrator was on the island so it was 1 out of 500 possible male suspects.

    The cops wanted every man's DNA to find the culprit.

    OP is on the same path.

    There's a presumption of guilt that I quite frankly find disgusting.

    The OP should be ashamed of him or herself.

    I dont believe in that kind of 'casting a wide net' in order to prevent crime. Its the New York 'broken windows' policy.

  • Techie4066 on 25/03/2021 - 19:53

    Well I'll be damned, this was successful.

    • spackbace on 26/03/2021 - 14:42
      +2

      Please sign the petition to let the government know that we want to see this technology made mandatory for all cars. It is a matter of life and death, no less.

      No it wasn't. And thank god it wasn't!

      • Techie4066 on 26/03/2021 - 15:24
        +1

        Hahaha I'm aware, we get something like this on OzBargain on an almost daily basis. Just reminiscing.

  • [Deactivated] on 10/10/2021 - 22:12

    Probably easier to ban alcohol altogether.

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