Alcohol Alcohol continues to be regarded as the second most critical road safety issue, after speed. This includes seven in ten people in the vulnerable 15 to 24 year age group. Random breath testing activities on Australian roads continue to enjoy a high profile. Close to seven in ten of all licensed drivers report seeing RBT operations in the past six months, with one in five saying they have personally been tested in that time. Males again report both a higher awareness of RBT activity and a higher incidence of testing than do females.
Awareness tends to be more pronounced in the capital cities than in non-metropolitan areas.
Investigation of people's attitudes towards alcohol confirms a greater willingness to adopt safer drinking and driving practices evident since the Wave 7 survey, conducted in 1993. While one in five licence holders in Wave 9 claim to be non-drinkers, an additional two in five say they abstain from drinking when they are planning to drive. However, close to half of all licence holders who ever drink and drive say that, given the opportunity, they would be likely to test their breath to decide whether or not to drive. Knowledge of recommended alcohol consumption guidelines was again investigated in Wave 9. The findings continue to reflect a reasonable level of understanding of the number of standard drinks that can be consumed, with females generally recognising that they should consume less drinks than males.