A staggering amount of drivers get behind the wheel after drinking, new research has shown.
An NRMA report found that 12 per cent of people surveyed had driven while over the limit, and a further 17 per cent did so while “possibly” over the limit.
Almost one-third of respondents admitted they had driven the day after drinking while possibly still over the limit.
The statistics came as the NRMA said 35 people had died in New South Wales this year as a result of alcohol related crashes.
Just 14 per cent of those who admitted to drink driving had previously been caught by a roadside breath test.
And fewer than half – 45 per cent – of all those surveyed had even seen an RBT in the past six months, and just 23 per cent had seen one in the past seven to 12 months.
The NRMA is calling on the NSW government to boost RBTs dramatically across the state.
The motoring body wants at least 1.1 RBTs per licence holder each year – a metric which comes to 7.3 million tests a year across NSW.
Last year, just 3.8 million were carried out.
NRMA spokesperson Peter Khoury said with the NSW road toll 24 per cent higher than the same time last year, a radical shift was needed on how the state cracked down on drunk drivers.
“It is abhorrent that in 2023 we are still having to tell people to stop drink driving,” Khoury said,
“Increasing the number of RBTs on our roads is the ultimate deterrent. The more drivers see them set up on the side of the road testing drivers the more likely they are to not risk drink driving.
The NRMA has launched an online petition which can be found here.
(9 NEWS)
