Effects of random breath testing on hospital admissions of traffic-accident casualties in the Hunter Health Region.

During the period of six years from 1977 to 1982, the number of admissions of victims of traffic accidents to public hospitals in the Hunter Health Region of New South Wales fell from 2099 to 1734, a decline of 21%. About three-quarters of these patients were male; one-quarter were in the 15-20 year age group. Since the introduction of random breath testing (RBT) in 1982, there has been a further decline in admissions of traffic accident victims to hospitals of nearly 20%, attributable to the introduction of RBT. The initial decline of 30% appears to have stabilized at 20% after 12 months. The decline in admissions occurred in the urban hospitals (31%), and not in the rural hospitals; it was greater among male (31%) than among female (8%) accident victims. In the Hunter region, it is estimated that RBT has resulted in a saving of more than 3000 hospital bed-days in its first year.