Police breath alcohol testing figures have returned to levels not seen in nearly a decade in a huge boost for road safety.

The number of tests in 2022/23 totalled 2,662,852. This was more than a million more tests that the previous 12-month total of 1,592,286.

AA road safety spokesperson Dylan Thomsen says the latest figures are great news and hugely encouraging.

“The AA’s really delighted to see Police testing efforts pick back up to the levels we were seeing in the mid-2010s. It makes Police more visible on our roads and will stop more drunk drivers from harming themselves and others.

“We want to say ‘well done’ to the Police, especially given the huge challenges officers have faced in recent years and the demands and pressure they deal with every day.

"We hope this is the start of an upwards trend that will see them consistently hitting their screening targets. More testing to stop drunk drivers will ultimately mean less crashes, deaths and people seriously hurt.”

There were 111 deaths on New Zealand’s roads in 2022 involving a driver or rider who was over the limit.

The police’s target is three million alcohol tests a year and while 2022/23’s total falls short of this, Dylan says it is a significant improvement on recent years where testing numbers hovered around or below 1.6 million.

“Deaths involving drivers over the limit have more than doubled since 2013, so it’s more important than ever for people to be seeing checkpoints to remind them of the risks of drunk driving, and for those who have made a bad decision to be stopped before causing harm to themselves or others.”

Breath screening is an important road safety measure when used in conjunction with other interventions like alcohol interlocks, specialist alcohol and other drug courts and rehabilitation treatment for drunk drivers that are caught.