Traffic Offender Program – A NSW Safe Communities Project

Medium to high range drink drivers are offered the chance to attend the eight-week Traffic Offender Program (TOP) on a voluntary basis.

Safe Communities Model

Safe Communities is a program that was initiated by the World Health Organisation. The Safe Communities model creates an infrastructure in local communities for addressing injury prevention initiatives through the building of local partnerships. Communities build relationships to target injury-related issues that are of significance in their local area and then organise solutions to address these issues.

Macleay Hastings Safe Communities

The Macleay Hastings area includes both the Kempsey and Hastings Local Government areas (LGA). The Kempsey LGA covers an area of 3,377 sq km and has a population of around 26,790 and the Hastings LGA covers an area of 3,684 sq km, with a population of around 60,770.

Outline of the problem

Alcohol has been shown to have a causative role in many different types of injury, including road trauma, falls, burns, drowning, assault, and to a lesser extent suicide.

Of the drink drivers involved in fatal crashes for the period 1995-1999, 73 per cent were speeding, not wearing a protective device (ie. seat belt or helmet) or both. Compared to other drivers involved in fatal crashes, drink drivers who are involved in fatal crashes are:
· three times as likely to have been speeding;
· twice as likely to have not being using a protective device; and
· seven times more likely to have been speeding and not using a protective device (Drink Driving Counter Measures NSW RTA 2000).

Local Profile

On the Mid North Coast during 1996, a total of 197 alcohol-related vehicle crashes were reported to police with 32 of these occurring within the Hastings area. Twenty per cent of alcohol-related crashes in the Hastings area were serious or fatal (MNC Police LAC, 1996).

Project Description

Medium to high range drink drivers are offered the chance to attend the eight-week Traffic Offender Program (TOP) on a voluntary basis. Participants are pre-assessed for suitability to attend the program, then they are approved by the local magistrate to attend. TOP's participants are assessed on their attendance, attitude, journal, weekly assessments and final assessment.

The Macleay Hastings Safe Communities TOP is auspiced by the Port Macquarie and Kempsey Neighbourhood Centres. The philosophy is based on educational and behaviour change models rather than a punitive model. Two hour group work presentations are given by the following services during the program:

Project outcomes

The Road and Traffic Authority Offender Data base (1993-1995) was used to assess the effect of TOP in preventing re-offending. It was found that participation in a Traffic Offender Program could reduce the probability of re-offending by 25 per cent.

For further information

Contact	:	Brett Johnson
Phone	:	+61 2 6588 2750
Email	:	bjohnson@doh.health.nsw.gov.au

WWW

:

http://www.health.nsw.gov.au/public-health/health-promotion/injury-prevention/safe-communities/macleay-hastings.html