Mr Gair defends breath-testers

Press, 15 October 1982, Page 3

Mr Gair defends breath-testers

PA Auckland The Minister of Transport, Mr Gair. rejects claims that breath-test devices are too inaccurate to use on drinking drivers. The Minister told the Traffic Institute that he would rather see the machines replace blood tests than abolished. The argument by Invercargill's Chief Traffic Officer. Mr G. M. Cockroft, that the machines were too unreliable, was not correct, he said in a letter to the institute's national conference in Auckland.

“Mr Cockroft draws our attention to the wide range of blood-aicohol concentrations that may accompany a given breath-alcohol concentration. implying that this shows an intolerable degree of error. “Such is not the case. Breath-alcohol and bloodalcohol are separate matters and separate offences," said Mr Gair. “It has been known for a long time that there are wide

variations in breath-alcohol ratios. Almost all the alcohol research in laboratories and on the road was with evidential breath testers." he said. “Rather than going back to relying on the cumbersome blood test, it would seem wiser to try to improve the system," he said. Improvements, including twin fuel-celled devices which suffered less from repeated use, looked promising. “Eventually, it is hoped we can eliminate the suspect's and the officer's blood test options and produce a truly efficient system,” said Mr Gair. Superintendent Terry Hoskin, of the Ministry in" Auckland. agreed the machine was reliable. “Otherwise we would not use it.” he said. “Mr Cockroft comes from a rather small city. Perhaps he has not had the opportunity to use it as frequently as we have,” he said.

Mr Cockroft was not qualified to speak for Ministry officers, said Mr Hoskin.