RANDOM BREATH-ANALYSER TESTS ON MOTORISTS

Mr Chiam See Tong asked the Minister for Home Affairs whether the Traffic Police will carry out regular random breath-analyser tests on motorists as a preventive measure against rather than to prosecute a drunken driver after an accident.

The Minister of State for Home Affairs (Assoc. Prof. Ho Peng Kee) (for the Minister for Home Affairs): Mr Speaker, Sir, the solution to effectively tackling the problem of drink driving is not a simple choice between conducting random breath-analyser tests on motorists against prosecuting drunken drivers after an accident.

Traffic Police (TP) implements a range of comprehensive measures that complement one another.

Since 1986, TP has been conducting random breath-analyser tests on motorists throughout the year. In the first eleven months of 1998, 1,093 persons were arrested for drink driving, including 156 who were involved in accidents. Closer to festive seasons when people tend to drink more as part of the festive celebrations, TP steps up its public education and enforcement against drink driving. Anti-drink drive messages are published in the media, advertised on taxis and buses and screened at pubs and discotheques. Entertainment outlets and restaurants are encouraged to provide taxi or car jockey services. Together with our deterrent laws, these measures have helped to ease the problem of drink driving and it is under control.

Mr Chiam See Tong (Potong Pasir): Out of the 1,093 cases which the Minister of State mentioned, how many of these were tested before the accident?

Assoc. Prof. Ho Peng Kee: As I have said, of the 1,093 persons who were arrested for drink driving in the first 11 months of last year, 156 were involved in accidents. In other words, the balance, more than 85%, were arrested and they were not involved in accidents. They were stopped either at road blocks or during normal patrols.