The Auditor-General has called on police to do more to show whether breath-testing is effective in reducing drink-driving.
Photo: RNZ / Alexander Robertson
Lyn Provost has released a report into how the police are progressing in adopting recommendations she made in 2013 into their enforcement of drink driving laws.
The report said police had identified that that drink driving levels were dropping, but it was not clear what factors were influencing that trend.
In 2013, the Auditor-General said police needed a clearer and more consistent method of gathering information and statistics on drink driving nationally.
Auditor-General Lyn Provost. Photo: OFFICE OF AUDITOR-GENERAL
The report said this still had not happened, so police could not get a clear, coherent picture of how effectively they enforce drink driving laws.
It said police acknowledged their public reporting on the effectiveness of enforcement had not advanced significantly since the performance audit in 2013.
The report said after new legislation lowering the breath alcohol limit came into force in December 2014, police updated and streamlined evidential testing procedures and forms for recording them.
Police also introduced electronic fingerprint scanning in booze buses to improve processing of offenders, and to identify false information from repeat drink drivers.
The report said police had taken some important steps, but had more work to do.