Citation

Cameron MH, Strang PM, Vulcan AP. Proc. Int. Counc. Alcohol Drugs Traffic Safety Conf. 1981; 1981: 1364-1381.

Copyright

(Copyright © 1981, The author(s) and the Council, Publisher International Council on Alcohol, Drugs and Traffic Safety)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

In July 1976 legislation was introduced in Victoria, Australia to allow random, road-side testing of breath alcohol levels of drivers. Since that time, because of limited police resources, the level of random breath testing operations has been generally low. There have been, however, (to December 1979) five periods of intense activity, each lasting for several weeks. During these periods, police increased their level of operations and worked in specified areas to allow an evaluation of the law. The evaluation has consisted of a study of fatality, serious casualty and alcohol-involved crashes during and shortly after the periods of increased activity, comparing the number of crashes with those in control periods in previous months and in other years. A study was also made of the perceived risk of detection for a drink/driving offence. This paper reports on findings from several of these periods of intense activity and concludes that random breath testing, when conducted intensively, reduces the risk of alcohol-involved crashes. (Author/TRRL)