EFFECT OF INTENSIFIED RANDOM BREATH TESTING IN MELBOURNE DURING 1978 AND 1979

During three periods in 1978 and 1979, intensified random breath testing (RBT) was applied in turn to sections of Melbourne for up to two weeks at a time. The periods of operation ranged from four weeks to several months, with up to 100 hours of RBT per week. An evaluation of the effects of intensified RBT serious casualty accidents at night was carried out. Night-time serious casualty accidents are a good surrogate for alcohol-involved accidents. Direct effects were measured in the areas and weeks of operation, residual effects were measured in the same areas during following weeks, and contamination effects were measured in nearby areas (apart from those directly influenced). The study concluded that the intensified RBT reduced the risk of alcohol-related accidents (as measured by changes in the risk of night-time serious casualty accidents) in the areas and weeks of operation and in the same areas for at least two weeks after operations ceased. Contamination effects in nearby areas were also observed. The paper includes estimates of the magnitudes of these effects on night-time serious casualty accidents (a). The number of the covering abstract of the conference is TRIS no. 368448. (TRRL)