Think Ahead & kNOw the Risk

Think Ahead

A 2 hour program specifically designed for ACT drivers who have been caught drink driving.

You are eligible to attend the Think Ahead course if:

1. You were convicted or found guilty of driving with a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) below 0.08; and

2. It is the first time that you have been convicted or found guilty of a disqualifying offence under the Road Transport (Alcohol and Drugs) Act 1977.

N.B If you do not meet the above criteria, you must attend the kNOw the Risk course.

Course aims:

• Provide knowledge and understanding of the physical, social and behavioural effects of alcohol and other drugs- and their impact on driving, general health and risk to society.

• Build awareness of the personal and legal consequences of drink/drug driving (DD).

• Highlight penalties and consequences of further DD convictions.

• Assist participants to develop an effective plan to avoid reoffending in the future.

kNOw the Risk

A 6 hour program over 2 sessions.

You are only eligible to attend the kNOw the Risk course if:

1. you were convicted or found guilty of driving with a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) on or over 0.08; or

2. it is NOT the first time that you have been convicted or found guilty of a disqualifying offence under the Road Transport (Alcohol and Drugs) Act 1977.

If you do not fulfil the above criteria, you must attend the Think Ahead course.

It seeks to guide participants to a greater understanding of the circumstances surrounding their offence and to assist them to develop an effective plan and commitment to avoid reoffending in the future.

The program assumes that recidivism can be avoided by providing participants with greater knowledge and understanding of how alcohol and other drugs affect health,decision making and the ability to drive both safely and legally. It also takes participants through a therapeutic process aimed at behaviour change in favour of safer and healthier choices regarding the use of alcohol and other drugs.

There are specific stages of behavior change, but in general they are

1.   Pre-contemplation: The person is not aware there is any need to change

2.   Contemplation: The person starts to recognise there could be a need to change and starts to consider if this is something they want to do.

3.   Preparation: The person starts to prepare emotionally and intellectually to make the change.

4.   Action: The person makes the change.

5.   Maintenance: This is a period in time after the initial change where the person continues with their new behaviour. During this phase there will be many barriers to maintaining the change and relapses may occur. This phase lasts for a minimum of 6 months.

From 17 June 2014, a person convicted in the ACT, of high range (0.15 BAC or higher)  drink driving offence, or  who has two previous drink driving offences in the past five years, will be subject to a mandatory interlock condition on their driver licence, following a period of licence disqualification. 

Where the court recommends  therapeutic intervention for that person, the person will not be required to complete an Alcohol and Drug Awareness Course to obtain a driver licence.

If a person's matter will not be heard by the court until on or after 17 June, and the person is unsure about whether they may be subject to the new mandatory interlock program, including the therapeutic component, they consider whether they would prefer to wait until their matter comes to court, or they have legal advice or other information to understand whether or not they are likely to need to complete an Alcohol and Drug Awareness Course. 

If the person is not subject to the mandatory interlock program or is not ordered by the court to undertake a therapeutic program they will need to complete an Alcohol and Drug Awareness Course before they can obtain a restricted or probationary licence.