| Abstract: | Conviction rates for drink driving charges vary markedly between suburbs in metropolitan Hobart. Particularly high rates occur in public housing and inner city areas. Low rates typify the more affluent suburbs. The pattern may reflect a complex interplay between police implementation of random breath testing, constraints imposed by the physical structure of the city, and varying attitudes towards the law. Court penalties imposed on drink drivers also vary markedly between suburbs. Recidivism probably provides much of an explanation; the role of other factors cannot yet be assessed. |
