2 December 2022: The NRMA is calling for a dramatic increase in the number of Random Breath Tests (RBT) across NSW after Police testing plummeted after COVID.
Last year, NSW Police conducted almost 2.8 million RBTs with a positive return rate of 0.5 per cent. By contrast, over six million tests were conducted in 2019 with a 0.3 per cent positive return rate.
The alarming fall in RBT across the state has occurred at the same time that 47 people lost their lives on NSW roads in alcohol related crashes and 301 seriously injured. Thirty-eight of the 47 alcohol-related fatalities occurred on country roads.
Road deaths across NSW are currently 262 – 20 more than the same time last year.
The NRMA is calling for a dramatic escalation of RBTs across NSW to represent 1.1 test per licence holder, over seven million RBTs each year based on 2021 licence holder figures.
NRMA spokesperson Peter Khoury said while RBTs were largely halted during COVID it was now well past the point of scaling up tests across NSW to serve as a deterrent to people who believed they could drink and drive and not get caught.
“Road deaths from drink driving are up, the percentage of people returning a positive test are up and the number of RBTs being conducted across the state have plummeted – these statistics are all heading in the wrong direction and that must change now,” Mr Khoury said,
“Last year, the number of RBTs conducted across NSW roads more than halved on the 2019 figures. We are well into the festive season and the NRMA is seriously concerned that a lack of focus on RBTs is leading to dangerous levels of risk taking as people don’t think they will get caught.
“The lack of investment in RBTs across NSW is both dangerous and worrying – best practice suggests that for every licence holder in the state 1.1 RBTs should be conducted to deliver the desired deterrent and we are a long way off that figure.”
To increase the number of RBT the NRMA is calling on greater resources dedicated to Police. In 2020/21 $23.1 million was spent on Police initiatives from the NSW Community Road Safety Fund. Almost double ($42.4 million) was invested in speed and mobile phone detection cameras.
“The NRMA wants to see more resources dedicated to the work of the NSW Highway Patrols and RBTs and that needs to start now – we are well into the festive season and too many people are drink driving on our roads because they don’t think they’ll get caught,” Mr Khoury said.
