WA Parliamentary Question on Notice regarding random roadside drink driving tests conducted from 2017-2020, including the number of tests and charges laid. The response provides detailed monthly data on breath tests and evidentiary charges.

AnsweredQoN 5630Legislative Assembly
Asked
15 October 2019
Portfolio
Police; Road Safety

QuestionView source ↗

I refer to random roadside drink driving tests, and ask: (a) How many random roadside drink driving tests have been conducted in each month from 2017-18 and 2018-19; (b) How many random roadside drink driving tests have been conducted in each month to date in 2019-20; (c) How many random roadside drink driving tests produced results above the legal limit in each month from 2017-18 and 2018-19; and (d) How many random roadside drink driving tests produced results above the legal limit in each month to date in 2019-20?

AnswerView source ↗

Answered
26 November 2019
Responded by
Minister for Police; Road Safety
Response time
12 days
The McGowan Government has increased the number of alcohol and drug tests on drivers in Western Australia. One test per licenced driver is considered leading road safety practice in relation to alcohol breath tests.
The Western Australia Police Force advise:
(a) Table 1. Total Breath Tests Conducted by Month in 2017-18 and 2018-19
2017
July                              175 146
August                         195 510
September                   203 102
October                       231 137
November                   244 119
December                   318 241
2018
January                        221 226
February                      187 826
March                          198 280
April                            151 047
May                             88 497
June                            109 121
July                             170 935
August                         174 981
September                   208 806
October                       170 722
November                   163 770
December                    246 082
2019
January                        209 533
February                      148 421
March                          213 027
April                            179 205
May                             153 682
June                            146 886
(b) Table 2. Total Breath Tests Conducted by Month in 2019-20 Year-to-Date (YTD)
2019
July                              138 685
August                         182 656
September                   185 669
October†                       76 222
† YTD is up to and including Sunday 13 October 2019.
(c) Table 3. Total Number of Breath Tests that Resulted in an Evidentiary Charge in 2017 18 and 2018-19
2017
July                              685
August                         761
September                   730
October                       814
November                    786
December                    936
2018
January                        623
February                      677
March                          721
April                            606
May                            498
June                           625
July                            639
August                        668
September                  750
October                       556
November                   628
December                   746
2019
January                       579
February                      521
March                          674
April                            562
May                             601
June                            627
(d)  Table 3. Total Number of Breath Tests that Resulted in an Evidentiary Charge in 2019-20
Year-to-Date (YTD)
2019
July                 577
August             581
September       563
October†          266
† YTD is up to and including Sunday 13 October 2019
Statistics are provisional and subject to revision. The statistics provided in this response are in accordance with the methodology and policy utilised by the State Traffic Command of the Western Australia Police Force.  A breath test means a test of a sample of a person’s breath (by means of approved apparatus) for the purpose of providing an indication of whether or not a person’s blood alcohol content is of or above a predetermined level or an indication of whether or not alcohol is present in the blood of a person. Counts of breath tests resulting in ‘evidentiary charges’ indicate circumstances where a driver has undergone an evidentiary breath test which has resulted in a charge being preferred. Breath test figures are correct at the time of data extraction. There are time lags between a breath test being issued by an officer at the roadside and that breath test being recorded.

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