Media Statement
1 January 2016
___________________________________________________________________________
X voluntary breath tests
A record xxx Falls Festival patrons were voluntarily breath tested during the
four-day festival.
On New Year’s Day xxx people came to the RSAC tent from 7am to have
their breath tested before starting their journey home, a Road Safety
Advisory Council spokesperson said. Five hundred people were tested
during the previous three days.
The spokesperson said the Council wanted to educate people about the
amount of alcohol consumed and their blood-alcohol reading.
He said the only way to reduce the blood alcohol reading was time.
Drinking coffee, eating mints or exercising did not make any difference.
The spokesperson said most of people who went to falls were young people
who were most at risk of being killed or injured on the road because of
alcohol.
Of the xxxx serious casualties in the five years to xxxx , alcohol was a factor in
xx percent of serious casualties (all ages) but xx percent of the serious
casualties involved alcohol were aged between 17 and 25.
Last year, a total of 3,727 people, including 3,545 on New Year’s Day, had a
voluntary breath test. The percentage of patrons (13,300) tested was 28,
about the same as the 2013-14.
For more information: Neil Spark 0417 352 210