Regulation of drink-driving limits

Until December 2014 the alcohol limit for drivers aged 20 years and over was 400mcg of alcohol per litre of breath and 80mg of alcohol per 100ml of blood.

Until August 2011 the alcohol limit for drivers under 20 was 150mcg of alcohol per litre of breath and 30mg of alcohol per 100ml of blood.

In July 2010, Cabinet considered a proposal to lower the limit for drivers under the age of 20 from 150mcg per litre of breath to zero and from 30mg of alcohol per 100ml of blood to zero. A proposal was also considered to lower the legal adult limit from 400 to 250mcg of alcohol per litre of breath and from 80 to 50mg of alcohol per 100ml of blood. Cabinet agreed to:

• lower the alcohol limit for drivers under 20 to zero — this change came under the Land Transport (Road Safety and Other Matters) Amendment Act and came into effect on 7 August 2011
• maintain the adult alcohol limits until further New Zealand-based research was completed.

We undertook further research, and also ran a 2013 survey of public attitudes to road safety in New Zealand, which showed 60% percent of survey participants favoured a lower adult alcohol limit.

In November 2013, Cabinet agreed to lower the adult limit to 250mcg of alcohol per litre of breath and 50mg of alcohol per 100ml of blood. The change was put in place through an amendment to the Land Transport Act 1998. The new limit came into effect on 1 December 2014.

Safer Journeys - Lowering the legal alcohol limits for adult drivers Cabinet paper  [PDF, 166 KB]

Regulatory Impact Statement - Safer Journeys: lowering the legal alcohol limits for driving  [PDF, 548 KB]

Cost-Benefit Report - Alcohol impairment project: Lowering Legal Adult Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC) [PDF, 1.7 MB]

Register of peer-reviewers comments of the cost-benefit analysis [PDF, 278 KB] 

Public attitudes to road safety survey  [ZIP, 9.4 MB]