EFFECT OF PERIODS OF INTENSIFIED RANDOM BREATH TESTING DURING LATE 1978: FINAL REPORT

During seven weeks near the end of 1978, intensified random breath testing was applied in turn to four sectors of Melbourne. Testing was carried out in one sector at a time, on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights. This report describes the effect of intensified testing, in terms of reported casualty accidents, their severity and the blood alcohol concentrations (BAC) of driver casualties. The report concludes that intensified random breath testing in Melbourne during late 1978 resulted in a substantial reduction in the risk of serious casualty accidents at night. The effect on bacs of driver casualties was less clear, but there was evidence of a reduction in the probability of elevated BAC among driver casualties from single-vehicle accidents at night. (TRRL)

• Corporate Authors:

  Victoria Road Safety and Traffic Authority, Australia

  854 Glenferrie Road
  Hawthorne, Victoria  Australia  3122
• Publication Date: 1980-8

Media Info

• Features: Tables;
• Pagination: 47 p.

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Alcohol breath tests; Blood alcohol levels; Crash rates; Crash severity; Drunk driving; Night; Random sampling; Traffic law enforcement
• ITRD Terms: 1643: Accident; 1661: Accident prevention; 1612: Accident rate; 1542: Alcohol test; 8006: Australia; 1553: Blood alcohol content; 9009: Decrease; 1772: Driver; 2231: Drunkenness; 1534: Enforcement (law); 2163: Injury; 1556: Legislation; 9052: Night; 9054: One; 313: Urban area; 1255: Vehicle
• Subject Areas: Highways; Safety and Human Factors;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00390334
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: ARRB
• Report/Paper Numbers: Monograph
• Files: ITRD, TRIS, ATRI
• Created Date: Nov 30 1984 12:00AM