Fact Sheet 9 - Safer Road Users - Alcohol

Across Australia more than 20% of drivers and riders killed have a blood alcohol level exceeding the legal limit (Australian Transport Council 2008, p41).

During 2008 there were 88 fatalities as a result of crashes involving drink drivers or riders in Queensland, representing 26.8% of the Queensland road toll (Data Analysis Unit 2009). This is nine fatalities (or 9.3%) fewer than the previous year and five fatalities (or 5.8%) greater than the previous five-year average (Data Analysis Unit 2009).

Random breath testing (RBT) was introduced into Queensland in 1988 and since then considerable progress has been made in reducing the number of drink-driving related crashes through the use of RBT and publicity campaigns.

While the community now generally acknowledges that drink driving is socially unacceptable behaviour, the fact that alcohol still contributes to such a large percentage of road crash fatalities is a concern. More work still needs to be done through initiatives targeted at those most likely to offend – particularly on a repeated basis.

In Queensland, drivers can have their licences immediately suspended when they are charged with:

• High level drink driving (0.15 or more);
  
  
• Failing to provide a breath or blood specimen;
  
  
• A second low level offence prior to the initial one being finalised in court; or
  
  
• Dangerous operation of a motor vehicle while above the legal alcohol level for their licence (Queensland Transport 2008, p157).

Queensland also has legislation giving police powers to impound vehicles of drivers who are caught more than once in a three-year period for a range of offences including driving with a high alcohol level (0.15 or higher) or failing/refusing to supply a blood or breath specimen (Queensland Transport 2008, p155-156).

Research shows that a high proportion of recidivist drink drivers have clinical alcohol dependence problems (Australian Transport Council 2008, p41). RACQ members agree that a focus on rehabilitating offenders is needed to help reduce re-offending.

Standard Alcoholic Drink Chart

Across Australia and Internationally alcohol interlocks/’alcolocks’ on vehicles are emerging as a favoured and effective barrier to drink driving. One Norwegian study found that installing alcolocks on the vehicles of drivers convicted of drink driving could offer a benefit-cost ratio of 8.75:1 (Elvik 2008, p11).

In Queensland during the period 1994-2000, the relative risk of dying as a result of an alcohol-related crash in rural areas was on average 4.2 times higher compared with urban areas (Queensland Parliamentary Travelsafe Committee 2002). CARRS-Q’s extensive Rural and Remote Road Safety Study (Sheehan et al 2008, p225) recommended that programs be developed to target high alcohol consumption in rural and remote areas, and the related crashes.

Crashes involving intoxicated pedestrians are an ongoing concern among road safety agencies and research suggests that courtesy buses and designated driver programs such as the 2008 Queensland Road Safety Award winning ‘Skipper’ program have strong community support (Sheehan et al. 2008, p224).

Priorities: Alcohol

1. Implement a level of enforcement and education such that drivers perceive a real risk of detection should they exceed the legal maximum blood alcohol content (BAC) or breath alcohol content (BrAC), e.g., increasing the allocation of police resources during times and at locations associated with high alcohol consumption.
   
   
2. Monitor and report on alcohol use by all drivers and riders killed or seriously injured in crashes and ensure that this reporting is separate to crashes where drugs other than alcohol are a contributing factor.
   
   
3. Further enhance community education about alcohol intake and BAC and promote alternatives to drinking and driving, e.g., understanding what a standard drink is and planning to drink at venues serviced by other transport options and/or designated driver programs.
   
   
4. Target rural and remote communities with localised education and enforcement campaigns to improve behaviour in relation to drink driving and walking while intoxicated.
   
   
5. Improve alternative transport options in rural and remote communities, e.g., courtesy buses and promote designated driver programs.
   
   
6. Implement anti-drink driving initiatives directed towards repeat offenders, e.g., best practice rehabilitation programs with assessment prior to re-licensing and alcohol ignition interlocks.
   
   
7. Improve public access to accurate breath testing devices, e.g., encouraging workplaces and licensed premises to install and adequately maintain public breath testers.
   
   
8. Encourage the hospitality industry to become more responsible for their patrons, e.g., publicans serving alcohol responsibly and not breaking liquor licensing laws by serving patrons alcohol to the point of intoxication, and providing and promoting designated driver schemes and complimentary/alternative transport services to help reduce the incidence of drink driving and drink walking in conjunction with transport providers, local governments, health and community agencies.
   
   
9. Use road-based measures in the vicinity of licensed premises to reduce the incidence of crashes involving intoxicated pedestrians, e.g., roadside barriers and improved lighting.
   
   
10. Monitor alcohol interlock/’alcolock’ trials in other jurisdictions and encourage vehicle manufacturers to develop this technology further.

References

Australian Transport Council 2008, National Road Safety Action Plan 2009 and 2010, Australian Transport Council, Canberra, ACT, Australia.

Data Analysis Unit 2009, Personal Correspondence to RACQ, 03/06/09, Queensland Transport, Brisbane, QLD, Australia.

Elvik, R. 2008, ‘Prospects for Improving Road Safety in Norway’ from Green, M. (Ed), Nordic Road and Transport Research No. 2 2008, VTI, Linköping, Sweden.

Market and Communications Research December 2008, RACQ Safety Policy.Survey: Quantitative Research Report, Market and Communications Research, Spring Hill, Queensland, Australia.

Queensland Parliamentary Travelsafe Committee 2002, Report on Rural Road Safety In Queensland, Legislative Assembly of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.

Queensland Transport 2008, Your keys to driving in Queensland No. 11: July 2008, Queensland Government, Fortitude Valley, Queensland, Australia.

Sheehan, M., Siskind, V., Turner, R., Veitch, C., O’Connor, T., Steinhardt, D., Blackman, R., Edmonston, C., and Sticher, G. 2008, Rural and Remote Road Safety Project – Final Report, CARRS-Q Monograph 4, CARRS-Q, QUT, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.

Contact

For more information contact RACQ Traffic and Safety on 1300 853 658 or 07 3872 8925, or email traffic@racq.com.au.