BREATH AND BLOOD ALCOHOL STATISTICS

Transcription

1 BREATH AND BLOOD ALCOHOL STATISTICS

2 116 MOTOR VEHICLE CRASHES IN NEW ZEALAND 213

3 BREATH AND BLOOD ALCOHOL STATISTICS 117 CONTENTS TABLES Table 1 Number of alcohol offenders by age group and sex 119 Table 2 Alcohol offenders by month and crash involvement 12 Table 3 Alcohol offenders by time of day and day of week 121 Table 4 Alcohol offenders by road type and weekend/non-weekend 122 Table 5 Alcohol level by driver age 122 Table 6 Age of male offenders by breath test result 124 Table 7 Age of female offenders by breath test result 124 Table 8 Age of male offenders by blood alcohol level 125 Table 9 Age of female offenders by blood alcohol level 125 FIGURES Figure 1 Number of alcohol offenders by age group and sex 119 Figure 2 Number of alcohol offenders by month of the year 12 Figure 3 Alcohol offenders by time of day and day of week 121 Figure 4 Number of offenders by alcohol level and age 123 Figure 5 Number of offenders by alcohol level and sex 123

4 118 MOTOR VEHICLE CRASHES IN NEW ZEALAND 213 NOTES 1. Data The data in this section includes alcohol offences recorded by police. There can be several alcohol offence codes related a single incident. For the following tables and graphs, offenders are counted only once for each incident. Any offence records for the same individual that occur within the same hour are treated as a single incident. Not all the offences reported here will result in a successful prosecution. 2. Limits and testing procedure As from December 1988 the legal breath alcohol level was lowered from 5 micrograms of alcohol per litre of breath 4 micrograms of alcohol per litre of breath. From 1 April 1993, for those aged under 2 years, the legal breath alcohol limit was lowered 15 micrograms of alcohol per litre of breath and the legal blood alcohol level was reduced 3mg of alcohol per 1ml of blood. From 7 August 211 the legal breath and blood alcohol limits, for drivers under 2 years, have been lowered zero. The procedure is: i. A breath screening test is requested. ii. If the screening test is positive or not taken for any reason, the driver is asked accompany the officer a place where an evidential breath or blood test may be taken. iii. If the evidential breath test: (a) is not taken for any reason, then a blood sample is requested by the officer. (b) gives a reading of not over 4 micrograms of alcohol per litre of breath (above zero for those under 2 years), then the test is considered negative and no blood sample is requested. (c) gives a reading of over 4 (zero for those under 2 years), then the driver, after being advised of his/her rights, decides whether accept the reading and subsequent court action or request a blood sample. Refusing a blood sample when requested by an officer, or a result over the legal limit, normally results in court charges.

5 BREATH AND BLOOD ALCOHOL STATISTICS 119 FIGURE 1: NUMBER OF ALCOHOL OFFENDERS BY AGE GROUP AND SEX 6 Alcohol offenders Female Male TABLE 1: NUMBER OF ALCOHOL OFFENDERS BY AGE AND SEX YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER Male Female Male Female Male Female Male Female Male Female and over Unknown age Total NOTE: In 213 there were 5 cases where sex was not recorded.

6 12 MOTOR VEHICLE CRASHES IN NEW ZEALAND 213 TABLE 2: ALCOHOL OFFENDERS BY MONTH AND CRASH INVOLVEMENT YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 213 Month Fatal crash Injury crash Non-injury crash Did not crash Total January February March April May June July August September Ocber November December Total FIGURE 2: NUMBER OF ALCOHOL OFFENDERS BY MONTH OF THE YEAR 25 Number of Offenders Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Month

7 BREATH AND BLOOD ALCOHOL STATISTICS 121 TABLE 3: ALCOHOL OFFENDERS BY TIME OF DAY AND DAY OF WEEK YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 213 Time of day Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday TOTALS Midnight 12.59am am 1.59am am 2.59am am 3.59am am 4.59am am 5.59am am 6.59am am 7.59am am 8.59am am 9.59am am 1.59am am 11.59am noon 12.59am pm 1.59pm pm 2.59pm pm 3.59pm pm 4.59pm pm 5.59pm pm 6.59pm pm 7.59pm pm 8.59pm pm 9.59pm pm 1.59pm pm 11.59pm Unknown TOTALS FIGURE 3: ALCOHOL OFFENDERS BY TIME OF DAY AND DAY OF WEEK 12 Number of Offenders Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday Day labels at 12 noon Day / Hour

8 122 MOTOR VEHICLE CRASHES IN NEW ZEALAND 213 TABLE 4: ALCOHOL OFFENDERS BY ROAD TYPE AND WEEKEND/NON-WEEKEND YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 213 Weekday Weekend Total Open road State Highway Non-State Highway Open Road Subtal Urban State Highway Non-State Highway Urban Subtal Speed limit unspecified Total TABLE 5: ALCOHOL LEVEL BY DRIVER AGE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 213 Alcohol level (1) No value Over 35 Refused Total and over Unknown age Total NOTE: (1) In milligrams of alcohol per 1 millilitres of blood. Breath test results have been converted a blood equivalent eg breath reading of 4 micrograms per litre is equivalent a blood reading of 8 milligrams per 1 millilitres.

9 BREATH AND BLOOD ALCOHOL STATISTICS 123 FIGURE 4: NUMBER OF OFFENDERS BY ALCOHOL LEVEL AND AGE Under 2 2 years or older Offenders Over 35 Alcohol Level ( blood equivalent - mg/1mls) FIGURE 5: NUMBER OF OFFENDERS BY ALCOHOL LEVEL AND SEX Female Male Offenders Over 35 Alcohol Level ( blood equivalent - mg/1mls)

10 124 MOTOR VEHICLE CRASHES IN NEW ZEALAND 213 TABLE 6: AGE OF MALE OFFENDERS BY BREATH TEST RESULT YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 213 Evidential breath test levels (1) No value (2) Over 1 Total and over Unknown age Total NOTE: (1) In micrograms of alcohol per litre of breath. (2) Most will have blood test results (see Table 8). TABLE 7: AGE OF FEMALE OFFENDERS BY BREATH TEST RESULT YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 213 Evidential breath test levels (1) No value (2) Over 1 Total and over Unknown age 1 1 Total NOTE: (1) In micrograms of alcohol per litre of breath. (2) Most will have blood test results (see Table 9).

11 BREATH AND BLOOD ALCOHOL STATISTICS 125 TABLE 8: AGE OF MALE OFFENDERS BY BLOOD ALCOHOL LEVEL YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 213 Blood alcohol test levels (1) No value (2) Over 35 Refused Total and over Unknown age 2 2 Total NOTE: (1) In milligrams of alcohol per 1 millilitres of blood. (2) Most will have breath test results (see Table 6). TABLE 9: AGE OF FEMALE OFFENDERS BY BLOOD ALCOHOL LEVEL YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 213 Blood alcohol test levels (1) No value (2) Over 35 Refused Total and over Unknown age 1 1 Total NOTE: (1) In milligrams of alcohol per 1 millilitres of blood.(2) Most will have breath test results (see Table 7).