In November 1993, the Victoria Police in conjunction with the Transport Accident Commission launched a major program in country Victoria in an effort to increase the number of random breath tests (RBT) to at least 700,000 tests in a twelve month period, and supported the enforcement operations with mass-media publicity. The objectives of the research project are to evaluate the program in terms of implementation characteristics, effects on road trauma, and cost-effectiveness, and to provide information to optimise the mix and levels of the major components of RBT programs (enforcement activities and supporting publicity) in the future. There was a 9 percent reduction in `high alcohol hour' alcohol hour' serious casualty crashes below expected levels in country Victoria during the program. Crashes in smaller areas of country Victoria influenced by the RBT activity were analysed so that the effects of styles of RBT operations, and the interactions of these effects with the levels of publicity awareness, could be seen. (A)
Samenvatting