Australia's biggest drink-driving operation begins tomorrow, as police nationally have revealed an estimated quarter of all drivers involved in fatal crashes have had a blood alcohol reading above 0.05.
Police are expecting to conduct more than 500,000 breath tests during the three weeks of Operation RAID (Remove All Impaired Drivers).
Operation RAID runs from 0001 hours Friday 20 November to 2359 hours Saturday 12 December 2009.
During Operation RAID last year, police throughout Australia conducted some 569,000 breath tests in the three weeks of RAID, and charged more that 4000 motorists with drink or drug driving offences. More than 20,000 motorists were also reported for speeding and restraint offences nationally.
National Operation RAID spokesperson, NSW Police Force Deputy Commissioner Dave Owens, said what began as a Murray River based initiative has grown into Australia's largest and longest drink-driving and drug-impaired driving operation.
"This really does mean that no matter where you are and how much you have had to drink or what drugs you have taken we will find you. There truly is nowhere to hide," Deputy Commissioner Owens said.
"Alcohol continues to be one of the biggest killers on our roads.
"An estimated quarter of all drivers involved in alcohol-related crashes across the country have a blood alcohol content above 0.05.
"This is a staggering and frightening figure when you consider the number of people in this country who would have grown up with random breath testing as a part of their lives."
By 31 October, 143 people died on roads across the country last month - this is a 13.5 per cent increase over the October 2008 figure.
There have been 1282 road deaths in 2009 to the end of October - this is a 7.6 per cent increase over the same 10 month period in 2008
In NSW alone, there have been 606 fatal and 18,025 major crashes that have involved alcohol since 2004
Deputy Commissioner Owens added that after hearing numbers such as these, the need for operations such as RAID remains tragically obvious.
"Between 2006-2008, there has been an eight per cent increase in the number of legal actions taken for drink driving in NSW.
"In the same time frame, there has been a 17 per cent increase in the number of random breath tests performed by our police.
"The work done during Operation RAID plays a large part in those figures and highlights the tragic fact that some people still haven't got the message how dangerous drink-driving is" he said.
Acting Assistant Commissioner Rob Kendrick of NT Police said that motorists need to aware.
"Although we still see individual driver behaviour on Territory roads that is appalling, there are indicators recently that our road safety messages may be getting through.
"With the combined efforts of educational campaigns from police and other agencies, we hope this improvement continues.
"With all the extra police patrolling Territory roads and conducting RBT's throughout the Territory, members of the public won't have much choice but to adhere to the road rules" he said.
Media contact:
Amy Sloan
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