Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
The Canberra Times
The Canberra Times
National
Andrew Brown

Roadside breath tests to continue in ACT despite coronavirus fears

ACT police officers will still carry out breath tests despite fears over coronavirus. Picture: Sitthixay Ditthavong

Random breath testing of Canberra drivers will carry on as normal despite fears of the spread of coronavirus, ACT police say.

It comes as large roadside operations were suspended by Queensland, NSW and Victorian police due to it posing a potential health risk for officers.

An ACT police spokesman said advice had been provided to officers about how to conduct breath tests safely with more hygiene controls put in place.

"ACT Policing uses a targeted, intelligence-led approach to deter, detect and remove impaired drivers from our roads. This approach will continue during the response to COVID-19," the spokesman said.

"In the past few years, rather than a large-scale static approach to roadside testing, every ACT Policing member conducts random breath testing and we work hard to ensure we have the right people, in the right place, at the right time."

While Victoria had stopped its booze buses, where mass testing takes place, preliminary roadside tests would still be carried out in drivers' cars.

READ MORE:

NSW has said it would be stepping up mobile patrols in response to the major operations ban.

The ACT police spokesman said the breath tests would be carried out in patrol cars and unmarked vehicles.

"ACT Policing will continue to act on the most current health advice and review our practices for the safety of our members and community," the spokesman said.

We have removed our paywall from our stories about the coronavirus. This is a rapidly changing situation and we want to make sure our readers are as informed as possible. If you would like to support our journalists you can subscribe here.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.