New figures show a nearly 40 per cent drop in alcohol-related road deaths in New Zealand compared to the previous year thanks to a major push in roadside breath testing.
Transport Minister Chris Bishop and Police Minister Mark Mitchell say the Government’s crackdown on drink driving is working.
“Our Government is focused on improving road safety through road policing and enforcement, investment in new and safe roading infrastructure, and targeting the leading contributors to fatal crashes such as drugs and alcohol impairment,” said Mr Bishop.
“That plan – the Road Policing Investment Programme (RPIP) – is seeing some strong results, and we need to keep it up.”
Record-Breaking Number of Breath Tests
In 2024, Police carried out over 4.1 million roadside breath tests – the most ever recorded. That’s about 900,000 more than in 2023 and well above their goal of 3.3 million.
“Police have really stepped up their road policing efforts in the past year,” Mr Bishop said.
“They also focused more testing during high-risk times like evenings and weekends. In just the first nine months of this financial year, Police did over 2.1 million breath tests during these risky hours – 35% more than planned.”
Mr Bishop said the goal of breath testing is to keep New Zealanders safe on the road – and it’s working.
Big Drop in Alcohol-Related Road Deaths
“It’s really encouraging to see an almost 40 per cent reduction in the number of road deaths where alcohol was a contributing factor, from 92 alcohol-related road deaths in 2023 down to 57 in 2024.”
He added that the drop in alcohol-related deaths helped bring the total 2024 road toll down to the lowest level since 2014.
“This is a big step in the right direction. Every avoidable road death is a tragedy and there’s always more work to do.”
Police Minister Mark Mitchell said the results show the importance of regular and random testing.
“Alcohol and drugs are leading contributors to death and serious injury on our roads, and both random and selective breath testing is proven to discourage people from drinking and driving,” he said. “Every breath test delivered has the potential to save a life.”
Mr Mitchell also praised Police for their strong efforts. “I’m proud of the work our Police are doing to reduce deaths on our road, keep our communities safe, and ensure everyone can get to where they need to go safely.”
Drug Testing to Roll Out Later in 2025
Roadside drug testing is also on the way. A new law passed in March 2025 will allow Police to test drivers for drug impairment later this year.
“Anyone who drives while under the influence of drugs should know that they’re putting themselves and other road users at risk – and we’re not going to put up with it,” said Mr Bishop.
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