It doesn’t matter who you are, if you drink alcohol and then drive, roadside alcohol testing in Brisbane will catch you.
It doesn’t matter if you’re on a minimum wage, a millionaire, an elite sports star, a lawyer, a policeperson or, for that matter, the mayor of a Brisbane local council. It doesn’t even matter if you’ve been an advocate for road safety, if you make a mistake and take to the wheel after drinking, you will be caught.
Just like the Mayor of Redlands City Council in Brisbane, Karen Williams, who admitted to driving after drinking “several glasses of wine” late last week. While police investigations are continuing and there’s been no official word of a positive alcohol testing result or charges laid, media are reporting that Ms Williams’ car left the road and struck a tree at 9pm last Thursday.
To her credit, Ms Williams hasn’t shied away from the incident. In a statement to the media, she said:
“Last night I made a serious error in judgment and drove after drinking several glasses of wine.
“I am deeply sorry for my actions and am incredibly thankful no one else was involved or injured.
“I will be seeking counselling and will continue to assist police in their inquiries.”
To make matters more baffling, Ms Williams has been a road safety advocate and led the calls for tougher sentencing of drink and drug drivers. In particular, she has been very vocal over the sentence handed down to a drunk and drugged driver who killed a young couple and their unborn baby on Australia day last year.
Bad decisions – and alcohol testing – doesn’t discriminate
We’re not out to judge people like Ms Williams and the many other drivers who do get behind the wheel and drive after drinking. We’re not here to judge those who fail alcohol testing in Brisbane, either on the roadside or in workplaces. We have no idea about their personal circumstances, any issues they may be facing, or what led them to make their choices.
What this incident does remind us – and should remind everyone – is that virtually anyone who drinks or takes drugs can make a serious error of judgement. One of the side effects of alcohol and some drugs is that they can reduce inhibitions and prevent people from considering potential consequences.
Which is why you might go to a pub intending to only have one drink before driving home, when somehow one drink turns into 3 or 4 and you still get behind the wheel. You might drive to a party to dance and enjoy music with friends, and only drink water, when someone puts an ecstasy pill in your hand and you think, “Why not?”.
One of the aims of roadside alcohol testing and roadside drug testing in Queensland is to catch people who drink and drive, or who take drugs and drive, before they hurt someone. The same goes for workplace testing.
Making errors of judgement doesn’t discriminate. Neither does alcohol testing. And it will catch you eventually if you do the wrong thing.
IMAGE CAPTION:
Roadside alcohol testing in Brisbane is out to catch drink drivers before they hurt someone. Credit why kei (image modified) https://unsplash.com/photos/8e2gal_GIE8
