The NRMA has called on the ACT Government to direct extra revenue from speed cameras to a significant increase in Random Breath Tests (RBT) to save lives, saying RBT numbers have declined while the ACT road toll this year is the second highest on record.
So far in 2022, the ACT road toll sits at 18, however, the number of fatalities in which alcohol was a factor has not yet been finalised by the ACT Coroner.
In a statement, NRMA spokesperson Peter Khoury said, “the ACT Government’s traffic infringement revenue more than doubled last year to almost $61 million, due in large part to the introduction of the 40km/hr speed limit on Northbourne Ave and other parts of Canberra’s city centre”.
“The ACT Government raised an extra $33.9 million in revenue from speed cameras last year and the NRMA believes more of that should be directed into the work of Highway Patrols and a significant increase in the number of RBT across the ACT,” Mr Khoury said.
According to the NRMA, almost 14,000 RBT were conducted in the 2021/22 financial compared to 98,000 tests in 2018/19 and a record 144,256 in 2013/14.
The NRMA said it was alarming that over five per cent of tests conducted last year returned a positive result, double the rate of the previous year. In 2013/14, the positive return rate on tests was 0.9 per cent.
The NRMA has called on ACT Policing to adopt the best-practice model of 1.1 tests per licence holders across the ACT. Based on 2021 figures, this would require almost 360,000 tests conducted annually.
In response, an ACT Policing spokesperson, said “in recent years, ACT Policing has shifted from the traditional bulk approach of RBTs, to a more targeted, intelligence-led approach, which enables officers to complete random breath tests when they deem necessary”.
“Ultimately, this more targeted approach, with fewer static roadside RBT conducted, takes pressure off our staff to run RBT stations for prolonged periods, and leaves more members to service the community,” the spokesperson said.
“With the significant response of ACT Policing across 2020-2022 to Bushfire Emergencies, the COVID Pandemic and prolonged protest activity, ACT Policing used a more targeted approach to alcohol breath testing to remove impaired drivers from ACT roads, and this approach, as expected, resulted in a higher proportion of positive RBT results.
“It is from this targeted approach that one in 20 drivers tested in 2021-22 returned positive results, compared to one in 100 in 2013-14, 2014-15 and 2015-16.”
The spokesperson said “ACT Policing has also committed significant resources to removing dangerous drivers from our roads through the outstanding work of Operation TORIC”.
“ACT Policing still conduct random breath testing under the ‘anytime, anywhere’ approach and anticipate conducting a higher number of random breath tests in 2023.
“The drink-driving message is not new,” the ACT Policing spokesperson said. “We would prefer people choose between drinking or driving, not both.”
Mr Khoury said the alarming number of people drink-driving in the ACT needed to be tackled with a significant increase in the number of RBT, particularly during the festive season.
“Too many Territorians are taking the risk of drink-driving and the NRMA is firmly of the view that the best deterrent is for more resourcing to go into RBT all-year-round. If drivers see more random testing, they are less likely to take the risk – it is the ultimate deterrent,” Mr Khoury said.
“The number of RBT have plummeted 10-fold since 2013/14 while the percentage of positive returns has increased five-fold over the same period. This trend has to be reversed, especially as the ACT record its second-highest road toll.”
“2022 [has been] a terrible year on our roads and we do not want a repeat in 2023.”
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