ALMOST 90 people have been caught drink-driving across the New England North West since the start of the year, with 79,500 drivers tested on local roads.
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With new drink-driving laws set to come into effect in a fortnight, the Leader can reveal 89 people have been detected drink-driving - 13 of them locally at high-range, or more than three times the legal limit.
Highway Patrol Acting Senior Sergeant Michael Buko - who heads up the Peel cluster of highway police - said 34 people had been charged with mid-range drink-driving, and 36 for low-range, since January 1.
Five have been charged with special-range and one novice, after 79,496 random breath tests across the Oxley and New England Police Districts.
New laws come in on May 20 that will allow police to deal with motorists on the spot after a low-range reading for drink-driving.
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"Police will be able to resume their duties immediately following this detection, whereas in the past they have had to spend up to an hour preparing paperwork, the facts and court documents," Sergeant Buko said.
"This means we can get on with the job of road safety; I can have my highway patrol officers out on the road for longer, cutting red tape and allowing them to do their jobs, and cut down on road fatalities and intercept those people doing the wrong thing on our roads."
Those who take a gamble after a few drinks, and morning-after drivers, will be the biggest targets in the law change.
"People need to be careful if they choose to drink, and when they drive - and it goes to show you that you could still go low-range the next day and lose your licence," Sergeant Buko said.
Across the Western Region, which includes the Central West, he said alcohol had been a possible factor in 28 per cent of fatal crashes from May 2018 to April 2019.
Drivers will still have to submit to a roadside test and, if it's positive, be taken back to the nearest police or testing station for a breath analysis.
If that provides a positive reading above the legal limit of .050 and below 0.079, drivers will then be suspended and fined at that time, just like an infringement notice. They'll get an automatic three-month suspension as well as a $561 fine.
Those caught with a mid-range or high-range reading - anything above .080 - will still be required to front court but also incur an automatic suspension of their licence.
Drivers found with drugs in their system will face the same penalties if the offence is confirmed by laboratory analysis, police have said.
Breanna Chillingworth
Northern Daily Leader Senior Crime and Court Reporter
Northern Daily Leader Senior Crime and Court Reporter
