Drink drive survivor Kirstey Whicker’s call for more RBTs as SA falls behind eastern states

A drink-drive crash survivor who was hit waiting for a taxi after leaving a 21st is demanding more roadside breath testing, as SA falls behind eastern states.

Drink drive crash survivor Kirstey Whicker is calling for more random breath testing after learning SA does fewer tests per capita than eastern states — and has a higher rate of positive results.

The proportion of motorists caught via random breath testing in SA is almost triple that of Victoria and more than double that of NSW.

In 2024-25 Victoria carried out 452 RBTs per 1000 people; NSW 430; Qld 374; SA 283; Tas 220 and ACT 206. (WA and NT unavailable).

Positive results per 1000 tests were Tas 11.8; SA 8; Qld 7.6; ACT 6.3; NSW 3.7; Vic 2.6.

Ms Whicker has lived with the aftermath of an accident on September 8, 1996, when she was run down by drunk driver Nicole Kate Bosisto, 21, while waiting for a taxi at Walkerville after a 21st party.

Ms Whicker, then 24, was resuscitated three times in the ambulance then placed in an induced coma.

With severe head and other injuries doctors believed she would never walk or talk again, but she rallied. Last year she fought cancer into remission after gruelling chemotherapy.

Kirstey Whicker survived a drink drive accident nearly 30 years ago but lives with its aftermath every day. Picture: Dean Martin

“I think anyone who has seen someone affected by a drunk driver would be in absolute support of increasing random breath tests,” she said.

“Next year will be the 30 year anniversary of me getting hit by a drunk driver in 1996. Perhaps more tests in 1996 might have prevented that.

“After my six month coma, I had to have extensive therapy to work around my brain damage and learn how to walk and talk again. I’m still suffering from ridiculous fatigue — a common effect of neurological damage — and when I am tired I still have balance issues.

“Every single day since I woke up from the coma in 1997 I have thought about what happened to me. How can you not, when your speech is different, your walking is different, you can’t keep up with your friends and every single aspect of your life has changed?

“The drunk driver just got on with her life and I’m just celebrating the fact that I am still alive.”

Whicker is calling on SAPOL to deliver more random driver testing. Picture Simon Cross

SAPOL is unable to comment on interstate processes but noted: “Since the 2018-2019 financial year, driver screening within South Australia has been on an increasing trend, whereas the detection rate for drink driving has been on a decreasing trend.

“It is likely SAPOL has a high detection rate compared to the eastern states as drink driving operations and everyday driver screening is performed through intelligence-led processes. Police are deployed to events and areas where intelligence suggests drink driving offending may occur.”

Opposition police spokesman Jack Batty said: “Without enough police on our streets, it’s no surprise we’re seeing fewer random breath tests. South Australia is in the middle of a police retention and recruitment crisis — we can’t afford to lose critical road safety measures like RBTs simply because there aren’t enough police to do the job.”

Victoria Police undertake an “anywhere, anytime” approach to roadside drug and alcohol testing, while NSW Police conduct RBTs based on intelligence and operational needs and note: “Stationary sites provide a highly visible police presence which provides a broader general deterrence in addition to detecting offenders.”

Originally published as Drink drive survivor Kirstey Whicker’s call for more RBTs as SA falls behind eastern states