REVIEW OF THE OPERATION OF RANDOM BREATH TESTING: A SUBMISSION TO THE SELECT COMMITTEE OF THE PARLIAMENT OF SOUTH AUSTRALIA

Legislation which enables police to breath test drivers without having reason to suspect they have been drinking is peculiar to Australia, northern Ireland and Sweden. Intensified preliminary breath test station operations have been associated with reduced density of some types of casualty road crashes in Melbourne, but there is not sufficient reliable information available to determine: 1) what proportion of the decrease in casualty crash density associated with these operations is attributable to a change in reporting of these crashes; 2) whether the real or apparent changes which did take place were due to the preliminary breath test station operation or to other factors; or 3) whether the changes which are attributable to the intensified operation could be achieved without the special police powers peculiar to the preliminary breath test station legislation which enable them to breath test drivers without reason to suspect that they have been drinking. Further, there is no reliable evidence to demonstrate that changes in the pattern of alcohol-related crashes or alcohol consumption in Victoria are directly or indirectly attributable to section 80EA of the Motor Car Act 1958. Enforcement of traffic laws by police is a very expensive countermeasure and, in the absence of a prolonged commitment to this expense, the usefulness of preliminary breath test station legislation as a road safety tool is not yet conclusively proven. (TRRL)

• Corporate Authors:

  Royal Automobile Club of Victoria

  123 Queen Street
  Melbourne, Victoria  Australia 
• Publication Date: 1984-9

Media Info

• Features: Figures; References; Tables;
• Pagination: 38 p.

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Alcohol breath tests; Laws; Police powers; Random breath tests; Safety; Traffic law enforcement; Traffic safety
• ITRD Terms: 1612: Accident rate; 1542: Alcohol test; 2267: Attitude (psychol); 8006: Australia; 9001: Behaviour; 224: Cost; 9115: Detection; 2231: Drunkenness; 1534: Enforcement (law); 9020: Evaluation (assessment); 1602: Fatality; 2163: Injury; 9102: Method; 1502: Penalty; 2229: Perception; 9149: Prevention
• Subject Areas: Highways; Law; Safety and Human Factors; Security and Emergencies;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00462585
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: ARRB
• Report/Paper Numbers: NTS84/8
• Files: ITRD, TRIS, ATRI
• Created Date: Feb 28 1987 12:00AM