The national roll-out of the new Booze Bus Biometrics system will see roadside checkpoints streamlined in the Bay of Plenty.
Police will be able to confirm people's identities in minutes while conducting roadside breath tests.
The BBB system will enable police to confirm within minutes the identities of people in the system police intend on charging with drink driving offences.
By electronically scanning fingerprints and taking digital photographs, officers will be able to compare the data to existing records.
'Identifying high-risk drivers and recidivist drink-drivers at the roadside means police will be able to respond quickly and appropriately to circumstances, and will ensure alleged offenders are charged appropriately from the outset," says Police Minister Michael Woodhouse, who officially launched the system yesterday.
'Alcohol is a factor in around 30 per cent of fatal road crashes. The BBB system will provide Police with the necessary tools to take the highest-risk drivers off the road and help to protect the safety of other road users.”
Police have manually taken fingerprints and photographs on the booze buses for several years but this development will make it cleaner, faster and more efficient, says Michael.
'It will also reduce the hours of police time which is wasted trying to locate offenders who give false identities.
BBB system will be installed in all 21 of police's booze buses, including the Bay of Plenty, by the end of November.
The system was trialled in Wellington for a month in June, during which time, 20 drivers were processed, 18 for impaired driving and two for driving while disqualified. None tried to provide false particulars.
Under the BBB system, police are only able to keep the data if an offender is convicted. If there is no conviction results, the data is destroyed.
'The Government has introduced tougher penalties for serious and repeat drink drivers, and this system builds on that by providing a sensible use of new technology that will help Police do their jobs more effectively.”
3 comments
5 eyes
Posted on 26-10-2014 16:39 | By sambro
If there is no conviction results, the data is destroyed. NOT !!!
Safety would be good
Posted on 26-10-2014 22:20 | By Murray.Guy
I'm far from a PC safety conscious commentator, my pet hate being the over abundance of traffic hazard trucks and related accessories that shield the weed eater and leaf blower operator from all manner of perceived potential hazards, creating their own in the process - but I am astounded at the failure to apply adequate warning and onsite lighting on occasion by Police setting up their check points, mostly as it applies to night time.
The Judas Kiss
Posted on 27-10-2014 08:36 | By The author of this comment has been removed.
More revenue gathering - lower the limit, get more through the queue. Figures show that drink drivers is now far less than 1% of cars on the roads. Many police jobs are created for this operation.
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