Eliza Barr: Yes, your drink driving is everybody’s business
In my experience, there is almost no one as indignant or irate as a drink driver who has been exposed in the local newspaper, writes reporter Eliza Barr.
Opinion
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In my experience, there is almost no one as indignant or irate as a drink driver who has been exposed in the local newspaper.
I’ve written stories about murderers, sex predators, coward punchers, fraudsters, bikies and thieves.
I’ve exposed public masturbators, drug dealers and abusers.
Murder and public masturbation are arguably more serious and humiliating crimes — but none of these offenders are as outraged as those caught driving under the influence once they see their crimes laid bare in the media.
The problem is most drink and drug drivers think their crimes are not a matter of public interest.
“It’s none of your business,” they say. “You have no right!”
“I did not give you permission to write this story! Haven’t I been punished enough?” “This is fake news,” they often wail, hours after the sordid details of their misdeeds have been ventilated in the public courtroom and the sentence has been handed down.
Here is my personal favourite: “You’re ruining my life.”
If you get busted drink or drug driving in public, the blame for ruined lives lands squarely on you, my friend.
Sydney has been shattered by the deaths of four innocent children out on a summer’s night walk when an alleged drunk driver careened off the road and slammed into them.
Two families have been torn apart. An entire city is grieving the most tragic, unfathomable loss of four young children with their whole lives ahead of them.
That’s why drink and drug driving is our business.
If you decide to get behind the wheel of a two-ton metal weapon while you’re impaired and drive among us on our public roads at 60, 70, 80km/h — it’s our business.
You are not entitled to privacy when you’re risking other people’s lives.
In the past 12 months alone, I have covered the stories of two people who will spend years in jail for taking the lives of innocent motorists because they were driving high on ice.
I have endured persistent harassment from drink drivers and their friends after I have written about them in the local newspaper.
The young woman who took five vodka shots and attempted to evade a breath test.
The flight attendant caught high-range drink driving while speeding down a suburban road.
The driving instructor who tried to drive from Sydney to country NSW after drinking a bottle of wine.
The father who mounted the kerb in front of police after drinking a full bottle of Southern Comfort.
The woman who blew 0.367 after crashing into several parked cars and crashing into the gutter while her children were in the vehicle.
Here’s what Vodka Shots, Flight Attendant, Southern Comfort Dad and 0.367 Mum all have in common.
They all blew a higher blood alcohol reading than the alleged drunk driver charged with the deaths of those precious children in Oatlands.
It is our business.
These are our lives at risk every time these reckless drink and drug drivers take their chances behind the wheel.
Years ago on my first day as a court reporter, Magistrate Peter Bugden at Fairfield Local Court told me something that has stayed with me every day since as I tell the sorry tales of people and the crimes they wish no one knew about.
“I can hand sentences down in here,” Mr Bugden said, “but there is no punishment, and no deterrent as strong as being embarrassed when your crimes are written up in the local paper.”
If you can’t do the time, don’t do the crime.