AFTER decades of rampant drink-driving, motorists in Papua New Guinea are being threatened with the introduction of breathalysers.
For some drivers, it's an unthinkable proposition.
In the capital Port Moresby - where it's not safe to walk or use public transport - drink-driving has become a way of life for many.
But it brings a heavy human toll.
PNG's National Roads Safety Council says 254 people died on PNG's roads last year.
It's a tragically high figure for the predominantly village-based nation of five million, few of whom own vehicles.
The Council's Executive Director John Siola says alcohol was a factor in 90 per cent of last year's road fatalities.
Siola says poor maintenance of roads and vehicles contributes to the toll, as does the lack of driver education.
Newly-arrived foreigners are often aghast upon seeing drivers stopping in roundabouts, driving in the wrong lanes, or performing U-turns on a whim.
"Here in PNG, the drivers make the rules," says one motorist.
Many drivers say there is little to deter them from breaking the rules.
With this in mind, the National Roads Safety Council is preparing a submission for Cabinet recommending breathalysers and speed radars be introduced urgently.
Speed radars were introduced briefly in PNG in the 1980s, but had to be abandoned after they were found to be unreliable by the courts.
After recently recovering the old speed radars from a store room, police conducted trials this week to recalibrate the machines, confident the readings will stand up in court this time around.
But it's that other prospect - breathalysers - that has really scared the heck out of drivers in PNG.
Expatriates in particular fear the gadgets would further restrict their movements outside their secure compounds.
Siola agrees there are issues, but says something has to be done to reduce the toll.
"I guess they'll be having to call their wantoks (friends) to drive them home."
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Post Courier