Compulsory testing starts 1 April

Ruapehu Bulletin, Volume 10, Issue 478, 23 March 1993, Page 10

Compulsory testing starts 1 April

Land Transport Division general manager Allan Kennaird says the introduction of compulsory breath testing from 1 April will cut the number of drinking drivers on the roads. "Drinking drivers may not know the difference between CBT and random stopping yet, but when they do, they '11 be less likely to risk being caught at all." Mr Kennaird said CBT laws will allow police officers to stop and breath test any driver, at any time and anywhere. Check points will still be used, but instead of testing only some of the drivers pulled over, police using CBT methods will test all of the drivers they stop. "Under random stopping, officers are only able to breath test drivers if they already have reasonable suspicion the driver has been drinking", said Mr Kennaird. "International research shows some, including half of those just over the limit, slip through the net under random stopping. Drivers can get the impression they can bluff their way through a check point if stopped. That makes it more likely they will drive after drinking in the first place." As well as being used in check points, CBT

will be used by individual patrol cars throughout the country. Mr Kennaird said the "net result" of fewer drink-drivers would be a cut to the number of deaths and serious injuries on the roads. "There is no other road safety problem of drinkdriving's magnitude in this country. Two out of five drivers dying on the roads have blood alcohol levels above the legal limit. A big improvement in the problem will create a massive drop in the road toll. "The public may not realise that drinking drivers come from all walks of life. It's easy to point the finger at young men or criminals and say 'it's all their fault*. But although these are ihe worst groups, many drink-drivers are just like you and me. You don't have to be obviously drunk to be over the limit, you just need to have been drinking. "We must all take responsibility for the drink-drive problem. We can do this by nevcr taking the risk of drink-driv-ing ourselvcs and nevcr letting others do so." Mr Kennaird said CBT is being introduced as one of several mcasures designed to reduce the road toll and drink-driv-ing in particular.