Third Of Breath Tests On 20-25 Age Group

Press, Volume CIX, Issue 32048, 24 July 1969, Page 14

Third Of Breath Tests On 20-25 Age Group

(New Zealand Preet Association)

WELLINGTON, July 23. Almost a third of suspected drinking drivers given the new breath test during May were in the 20 to 25 years age group, the Minister of Transport (Mr Gordon) said today.

Speaking in Parliament, Mr Gordon said this “to some extent confirmed what we already suspected.”

Of the 382 occasions In May when motorists were asked to take breath tests, 106 occurred between 10 p.m. and 11 p.m.—the hour after hotel closing—and more than 50 per cent were between 10 p.m. and 2 a.m.

Mr Gordon said that in advocating the breath test system to Parliament last year he had been adamant that officers would report in detail on their reason for administering a breath test Officers had dutifully filled in this part of the report form and in 172 cases the officer had noticed the car was weaving or swerving. Traffic Breaches In 92 cases the officer had first stopped the driver because of a breach of the traffic laws, and in 79 cases the breath test had been administered because of an accident.

Speaking later outside the House, Mr Gordon said that of the 382 cases, 208 first breath tests had been positive, 142 had been negative, 19 drivers had refused to take the test, on four occasions no tube was available, and in nine cases the driver had not been given a test for various reasons, such as being too drunk to blow into the tube. Second Test At the second breath test, 133 driven had proved positive, 85 negative, 10 refused, and there were eight others. At the compulsory blood test (total 147), four drivers had refused, on six occasions no doctor had been available, there were 14 miscellaneous no-tests, seven samples were not analysed, 13 driven had less than the legal bloodalcohol level and 103 drivers had more than the legal limit Of the drivers above the legal limit, the blood-alcohol counts were: 101-120 (7), 121-150 (9), 151200 (34), 201-250 (25), 251300 (16), 301-350 (2).

Of those below, the counts were: below 80 (4), 81-90 (2), 90-100 (7).

Speaking in the House to the second reading of the Transport Amendment Bill,

which clears up an anomaly in last year’s blood testing law, Mr Gordon said it wai still too early to assess driv ing habits or accident rates He gave no other figures or the age of drinking drivers, nor did he say how many motorists were actually charged under tile new law. Older Offence But he noted that of the 382 motorists tested under the new blood alcohol law, action was also taken against 80 for the more serious and older offence of driving or attempting to drive while under the influence to such an extent as to be incapable of control. Mr Gordon said he wished to emphasise that the figure of 143 motorists who proved negative on the first breath test was Inflated by the test-

r ing of the 79 motorists inI volved in accidents. s The new amendment allow- - ing the addition of certain . chemicals to the blood sami pies .was solely to clear up , a doubt raised by one magisr trate, and the addition In no r way affected the alcohol content of the sample. Labour Support ! “Without exception ens forcement officers are implei mentlng the law entirely in :■ accordance with the wishes ■ of Parliament,” Mr Gordon ■ said. » Mr J. Mathison (Lab., : Avon), a former Minister of . Transport, said Labour would not oppose the bill. But the road toll was rising again this year and Parliament would have to look elsewhere to meet this.