They are an important deterrent and in NSW every Police car is a mobile RBT Unit. Community attitudes to drink driving are slowly changing. Research and crash data show that there has been a shift towards people deciding not to drink-drive because they believe it is the wrong thing to do and that this attitude is being maintained. Alcohol Alcohol affects all drivers because it is a depressant - it slows brain function. This reduces the ability to respond to situations, make decisions and take actions.
Alcohol affects judgement of speed and distance .
Alcohol also gives a false sense of confidence, which makes people take risks they wouldn't normally take. Most drivers and riders have to stay below .05 - .05 grams of alcohol for each 100ml of blood. But many drivers, including most young people, have to stay under .02. At .05 you are twice as likely to crash than with a zero blood alcohol level. The more alcohol in the body the greater the risk of crashing.