NT community to play key role in preventing drink driving fatalities

Police said Territorians continue to underestimate the impact of alcohol and drugs on the ability to drive safely. Find out why here.

An NT Police officer said it was disappointing Territorians continued to underestimate the role of alcohol and drugs played in road fatalities.

An RBT blitz that started last Wednesday has already recorded 17 alcohol- and drug-related traffic infringements between Darwin Alice Springs.

It comes after 52 road fatalities in 2022 – a 14-year high – with a “horrendous” number of those deaths being linked to alcohol and drugs, said Detective Senior Sergeant Brendan Lindner.

“The Major Crash Unit has reviewed last year’s fatalities and 46 people died in a crash where alcohol and/or drugs were either confirmed or suspected to be a factor,” he said.

“That’s 88 per cent of lives lost.”

Detective Senior Sergeant Brendan Lindner said it was clear the NT had a significant problem with alcohol. Picture: Floss Adams.

Sergeant Lindner said Territorians could expect an increase in RBTs as part of NT Police’s road safety campaign.

However, he said it was “unrealistic for the community to expect police to bear the whole load of dealing with alcohol on the roads”.

“People that are driving on our road affected by drugs or alcohol often tend to be leaving a social gathering, leaving a pub,” Sergeant Lindner said.

“If you’re with those people before they drive, do what you can do to prevent them from driving.

“Stop and consider your own family – you’re driving home from the pub drunk, stop and think for a minute how they’re going to be when police knock on your wife’s, your husband’s, your parents’, your children’s door to say, ‘I’m sorry, but they’re dead as a result of drink driving’.”

Sergeant Lindner said the Territory had a significant problem with alcohol.

“The impact on the community, and the harm, is immeasurable,” he said.

“It is clear the community continues to greatly underestimate the role alcohol and drugs play in fatalities on Territory roads.

“Our road toll could be reduced to a single figure if everyone under the influence of alcohol or drugs simply stayed off the road.”

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