Police evaluating in-car breath testers

By PAUL YANDALL

Police will seek to have ignition locks that prevent drink-drivers from starting their cars introduced here if the devices prove successful in Australia.

The alcohol interlock includes a breath-testing device that can be fitted to vehicles and will allow them to start only if a driver gives a low breath-alcohol reading.

The Victoria state Government introduced the devices for repeat drink-drivers this week.

Police national road safety manager Superintendent Steve Fitzgerald said the Government and police had "half-an-eye" on the devices.

"We will watch what happens in Victoria and if they do prove to be a success then they will probably be introduced here."

He said they were already being looked at as part of the New Zealand 2010 Road Safety Strategy.

"But good results from Australia could see them introduced [here] in maybe two to three years."

The alcohol interlock is similar to a hand-held breathaliser and is wired to a vehicle's ignition. If a driver blows over the alcohol limit then his or her car will not start, but the driver can try again every 15 minutes until registering a low enough level.

Mr Fitzgerald said repeat offenders and first-time offenders who were caught with extremely high blood-alcohol levels would be the target of the interlock, but it would be up to the courts to decide who would have to use them and for how long.

The cost of buying and installing the devices, expected to be about $900, would probably fall on the person ordered to use them, but that was still being considered, he said.

The devices are already in use in the United States and Canada. Studies cited by Canada's Traffic Injury Research Foundation showed repeat offences dropped by as much as 90 per cent among people ordered to use the interlock.

But offending soon returned to its normal levels once the device was removed, said New Zealand road accident researcher Dr John Bailey.

"The length of time someone is made to use one will be all important."

Of the 462 road deaths last year, a quarter of them were alcohol related. About 22,000 people were convicted for drink-driving last year, with 46 per cent of them repeat offenders.

Automobile Association spokesman, George Fairbairn, said he was happy to have the devices tried here but he had concerns over the policing of them.

"What's to stop someone from simply getting into another car?"