The number of road breath tests plummets as road deaths continue to rise

Police are being urged to restore ever-shrinking breath test checkpoints as the number of alcohol-related road deaths continues to rise.

The latest police figures show that fewer than 1.3 million roadside breath tests were performed in 2018-19, up from more than 3 million in 2013-14.

With road fatalities involving a drunk driver increasing 77 percent between 2014 and 2019, the Automobile Association (AA) is calling on the October elected government to restore testing levels to where they were.

Road safety spokesman Dylan Thomsen said that while many factors had contributed to the increase in tolls on the roads, the reduction of checkpoints on the roads was a “major factor.”

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“In our opinion, if we increase testing again, we think it will help reverse it and lead to fewer deaths.”

The New Zealand Police Annual Report 2018-19 noted that the number of tests was reduced compared to previous years, and that the police focused on “specific risk targeting interventions … at the cost of the volumes of evidence “.

A decrease in impairment testing equipment also contributed to the decline, according to the report.

Thomsen said it was once common for New Zealanders to go through alcohol checkpoints, but that was becoming a thing of the past.

“We know what we have to do [to reduce alcohol-related road deaths], and part of that is what we’re asking here: to get back the alcohol test numbers.

“In reality, only a small group of people are at risk of drinking and driving. If they see that regular police tests are taking place and they know it’s happening … that can make people change their behavior and not take that risk. “

Vehicle miles traveled increased by 20 percent between 2013 and 2018, Thomsen said.

The AA is also calling for greater enforcement of interlock sentences, which require a driver to pass a breathalyzer test to start their car.

Although the sentence was made mandatory for repeat and serious offenders in June 2018, the association found that only half of those offenders received the sentence within six months of its introduction, due to various exemptions.

Because the device, which can cost as much as $ 2,500 to install, is self-applied, fewer than half of the people who were ordered to install it did so, the research found.

The Government’s Road to Zero 2020-2030 action plan aims at zero deaths and serious injuries in traffic accidents.

Deputy Transport Minister Julie Anne Genter said police had set a target of 2 million breath tests this year, and that it will return to 3 million next year.

She blamed the lower test numbers on funding cuts made to front-line highway police under the previous national government.

“After five years of underinvestment, it takes time to scale again. This year, the police invested an additional $ 2.8 million in breath test devices, allowing them to deploy an additional 2,700 devices.

Road surveillance is funded through the New Zealand Transportation Agency’s National Ground Transportation Fund.

Annual reports show that the agency invested $ 338 million in the program, including $ 62 million for alcohol, drug and fatigue monitoring, compared to $ 309 million in 2013-14.

A spokesperson said police had performed 1.6 million breath tests in the 12 months to June 30, a 27 percent increase from the previous year.

The Transportation Ministry said 1,070 road safety employees were hired across the country and that salaries would increase over time to maintain that number.

“The increase in the number of tests performed shows that the numbers are moving in a positive direction, leading to a reduction in deaths and serious injuries on New Zealand’s roads,” said Acting Mobility and Safety Manager Lucy Nie.

The national director of road surveillance, Acting Superintendent Gini Welch, said massive breath tests had increased before the coronavirus pandemic.

However, many tests were carried out in specific high-risk locations.

“We recognize that this, coupled with a large volume of randomized breath tests, is the most effective way to prevent drunk driving.”

Road safety activist Leah Abrams said the police checkpoints helped both as a way to catch drunk drivers and as a deterrent to drunk drivers.

“Checkpoints are a great preventive measure, and more are needed to make our roads safer.”

Abrams was seriously injured in a 2015 accident caused by a drunk driver, and required surgeries and a year of therapy to recover. As a result, he established the charity No One Ever Stands Alone and has seen the devastating effects of driving while intoxicated up close.

“Many families have someone they will never come home to, someone they will never see again.

“There are huge effects of drunk and drugged drivers on our roads, and there is a lot to do,” he said.

Sarah Deans, also a car accident survivor and founder of the Road Traffic Accident Trauma Charitable Trust, said many factors caused drunk driving and it was unfair to blame fewer checkpoints for the increase in crashes.

The community also had a role to play in preventing drunk driving, Deans said.

“It is important that we remember that road safety is everyone’s responsibility.”

Police Alcohol Testing

2013-14 – 3.02m (2.7m lens)

2014-15 – 2.56 million (target 2.7 million – 2.9 million)

2015-16 – 1.47 million (target 2.7 million – 3 million)

2016-17: 3.13 million (target 2 million – 2.4 million)

2017-18 – 1.68 m (2 m – 2.4 m)

2018-19 – 1.27m (target 1.6m – 2m)

Alcohol-related road deaths

2014 – 48

2015 – 65

2016 – 67

2017 – 75

2018 – 80

2019 – 85

Offenses for driving under the influence of alcohol and drugs

2013 – 24,540

2014 – 20,969

2015 – 26,138

2016 – 25,479

2017 – 25,544

2018 – 25,936

2019 – 24,833