There comes a time for everything.

Many years ago, it was compulsory seat belts and crash helmets for motor cyclists and then cyclists, later came the bans on smoking which are now accepted as normal and now it feels like the public is ready for a real change to the drinking laws.

Up to the 1990’s, getting in the car half-cut was almost acceptable.  It sort of indicated a bit of a rebellious spirit whereby you had a few too many but “she’d be right” and you’d sneak home via the back roads and get away with it again.

No doubt all of us over 30 have done it at some stage.  But now that attitude thankfully has changed and the feeling in the community is that we are ready to make the hard decisions.   We are ready for a zero tolerance to drink driving.

There’s always a feeling with drink driving limits that you can have a couple of beers or a wine or two and still be under the limit, but you’re never quite sure.  And with that, you gain the impression that you’re getting away with it not really knowing whether or not you were safe to drive legally.

So while we are ready to make the big change, it seems the Government is not.  There’s zero tolerance for those under 20 and recidivist drunk drivers, but for the rest? The status quo remains.

Personally, I’d prefer to have the zero tolerance and then you know where you stand and if you make the choice to have a beer and drive, you take the consequences.

If it’s good enough for our under -20 year olds, then why shouldn’t older New Zealanders set a good example and live under the same rules?

Having said all that, 36,000 New Zealanders were convicted of driving with an excess alcohol level last year and on any given day, 100 drivers are caught over the legal limit.

It makes you wonder if any message is getting through.