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Police are conducting almost 55,000 fewer random breath tests in the ACT compared to five years ago, with drug and alcohol groups concerned the low test rates are making Canberrans complacent about drink driving. ACT Policing figures showed 144,256 random breath tests were conducted in 2013-14, compared to just 89,300 in 2017-18 An ACT Policing spokesman said there was no target for the number of breath tests conducted per year, with the number historically fluctuating. Alcohol Tobacco and Other Drug Association ACT has criticised the low rates of breath testing in the ACT, saying drivers needed to believe there was a genuine likelihood they would be tested for it to be effective in preventing drink driving. It comes after the National Alliance for Action on Alcohol's national scorecard on alcohol policy recently ranked the territory poorly, in part due to its low use of random tests. Alliance co-chair Dr John Crozier, from the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons, said the ACT was a significant outlier to all other states and territories when it came to the rate of tests conducted. "We are still missing the opportunity to prevent death and serious injury in the ACT because we are not using those enforcement measures to greatest effect," he said. Dr Crozier said when effective harm reduction legislation was not effectively enforced, behaviour that carried risk - like drink driving - was silently approved. "It would be good if there was a greater use of random breath tests in the ACT to conform with other [jurisdictions] which are using that enforcement measure to greater effect," he said. In a submission to the ACT Government, the Alcohol Tobacco and Other Drug Association called on the government and ACT Policing to create a yearly test target and to work towards a progressive increase in the ratio of tests per 100,000 licensed drivers. The association said for breath tests to be effective deterrents, they should be truly random and conducted frequently enough that drivers believed there was a genuine likelihood of being tested. "Recent research has demonstrated, however, that the intensity of testing in the ACT (an average of one test per three licensed drivers per annum) is well below that considered to be best practice, namely an average of one test per licensed driver per annum," the submission said. "Furthermore, there is a widespread perception that [random breath testing] in Canberra is not implemented on a truly random basis. "Rather, it is being implemented in a targeted manner, targeting particular locations, times of the day, days of the week, and driver populations. "ACT Policing statistics tend to confirm this observation. In so far as this is correct, it militates against attaining the deterrence objectives of [random breath tests]." The association also raised concerns resources from breath testing were being diverted to roadside drug testing, despite a lack of evidence around its effectiveness as a safety initiative. An ACT Policing spokesman said the number of breath tests conducted this financial year was not expected to increase on last year, subject to a number of variables. "Both the number of tests conducted and the proportion of drivers recording a positive reading have historically fluctuated," he said. "The number of tests conducted varies due to a range of factors including operational priorities, time of year, event occurrence and staffing levels." He said while drivers were selected randomly, locations and timing of tests were determined based on historical data, intelligence and other factors. "It should be noted that in addition to formal [random breath test] stations, every ACT Policing officer can conduct random breath testing of road users," the spokesman said. "Further, ACT Policing’s traffic operations team conducts roadside breath testing for the presence other drugs in addition to alcohol. "ACT Policing continues to remind drivers of the dangers of alcohol and drug impaired driving as these remain a contributing factor in a high proportion of serious and fatal collisions. "You can and will be stopped for a [random breath test] anywhere, anytime." Dr Crozier said front line staff at hospitals across the country saw the effect of preventable alcohol related crashes every day. He said most would much rather see enforcement measures that have been proven to work used effectively. "I commend the trauma services at The Canberra Hospital and the leadership of Dr Ailene Fitzgerald," he said.

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