Breathalyser Sought

Press, Volume CVII, Issue 31502, 17 October 1967, Page 18

Breathalyser Sought

(N.Z. Press Association) WELLINGTON, Oct. 16. The Transport Department has ordered 25 British Breathalysers for testing under New Zealand conditions. A spokesman for the department confirmed today that the Minister of Transport (Mr Gordon) was also hoping to obtain samples of the breathalysers used in Switzerland and Germany. The British breathalysers contain chemicals which

change colour when a person who has consumed any alcohol breathes into them. The more alcohol consumed, the greater the amount of colour change in the crystals. A Road Safety Act amendment which came into force in Britain on October 9 permits police to apply roadside breath tests to any driver. If he or she refuses, or if the test shows an alcohol content exceeding 80 milligrammes of alcohol to every 100 millilitres of blood, the driver can be arrested and is then required to provide a blood or urine sample. Motorists suspected of drunken driving can be convicted only on the results of the Mood or urine tests, and

not on the breathalyser result.

Last year members of the Parliamentary Committee on Road Safety took part in a controlled experiment during which some of them gave blood samples for testing.

Mr Gordon told the New Zealand Automobile Association conference last month that some of those who took part had shown him their arms next day, badly bruised even though they had taken part voluntarily. Partly because of this there were some doubts about introducing compulsory blood tests in New Zealand, but as soon as new facts were revealed, or present doubts satisfied, he would place submissions before the Government said Mr Gordon.

The Transport Department is expected to test all the breathalysers used in Britaain and in European countries before making any recommendation on their use in New Zealand. The current issue of the “Manchester Guardian Weekly” gives the following facts, the figures representing the number of milligrammes per 100 millilitres of blood: 400 One British motorist acquitted this year. 220 Average level of those convicted. 190 Average level of those acquitted. 160 Drivers 20 times more likely to be involved in accidents than non-drink-ers. 150 Convictions usual in France and 31 American States. 80 Limit in United Kingdom, Belguim, Austria and France. 50 Limit in Sweden, Norway and Finland. First rise in accident rate. 30 Limit in Czechoslovakia and East Germany. Bulgaria imprisons drivers at this level. 5 Limit in Soviet Union.