Alcohol in New Zealand road trauma

Alcohol impaired driving is one of the major contributing factors for fatal and serious crashes in New Zealand. To curb the high level of road trauma resulting from drink-driving, a Compulsory Breath Test (CBT) programme was introduced in 1993 and a Supplementary Road Safety Package, that focused primarily on drink-driving and speeding, was introduced in 1995/96 to enhance road safety enforcement and advertising activities. These interventions have resulted in a substantial reduction in alcohol-related road trauma. The proportion of fatal crashes that are alcohol-related fell from 40% in 1991 to 26% in 2001. This paper discusses three drink-driving interventions during this period and discusses their impacts.