EVALUATION OF RANDOM BREATH-TESTING: POLICE OPERATION OF RANDOM BREATH-TESTING, 17 DECEMBER 1982 TO 31 DECEMBER 1983

In the first twelve and a half months (17 December 1982 to 31 December 1983) of random breath-testing (rbt) in New South Wales, nearly one million (923,272) breath tests were conducted, representing approximately one test for every three licensed drivers. As a result of rbt, 5,474 people were charged with driving with the prescribed concentration of alcohol (PCA). This means that 0.6 per cent of random breath-tests resulted in a PCA charge. The number of operations, the number of tests conducted, and the number of people charged were affected by five main factors. Three factors were concerned with the timing of operations (time of day, day of week and month), one with location area - (Sydney, Newcastle/Woolongong and country), and the other with type of operation (car-based or bus-based). The report recommends that the amount of testing between 10 pm and 4 am (or 6 am in Sydney) should be increased especially on weekends. The high charge rates late at night and in the early hours of the morning, especially at weekends, support the findings of other studies that this is when drink- driving is most likely. In addition to actually increasing the level of testing at these times, this change should be advertised to dissuade people from the belief that they can avoid ramdom breath-testing in this way. (TRRL)

• Corporate Authors:

  Bureau Crime Statistic & Research, New South Wales

  Goodsell Building, 8-12 Chifley Square
  Sydney, New South Wales,   Australia 
• Authors:
  • Cashmore, J
  • Vignes, G
• Publication Date: 1984-8

Media Info

• Features: Figures; References; Tables;
• Pagination: 71 p.

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Administration; Alcohol breath tests; Automobiles; Blood alcohol levels; Buses; Detection and identification; Detectors; Drunk driving; Economic efficiency; Evaluation and assessment; Intoxication; Law enforcement; Location; Police; Prevention; Random sampling; Rural areas; Statistics; Time; Traffic law enforcement; Urban areas
• Uncontrolled Terms: Efficiency; Timing
• Geographic Terms: Australia
• ITRD Terms: 155: Administration; 1542: Alcohol test; 8006: Australia; 1553: Blood alcohol content; 1243: Car; 2231: Drunkenness; 5911: Efficiency; 1534: Enforcement (law); 9020: Evaluation (assessment); 9061: Location; 1522: Police; 9149: Prevention; 328: Rural area; 6555: Statistics; 5414: Time; 313: Urban area
• Subject Areas: Administration and Management; Data and Information Technology; Economics; Highways; Public Transportation; Safety and Human Factors; Security and Emergencies;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00452304
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: ARRB
• Files: ITRD, TRIS, ATRI
• Created Date: May 31 1986 12:00AM