Pubdate: Tue, 19 Dec 2006
Source: Hawke's Bay Today (New Zealand)
Copyright: 2006
Contact: http://www.hbtoday.co.nz/info/letters/
Website: http://hbtoday.co.nz/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/2947
Author: Louis Pierard

A FAIRER APPROACH TO ROAD SAFETY

The biggest impediment to full acceptance of the need  for vigorous 
traffic policing is the perception that a  government department is 
using the motoring public as a  cash cow. The accumulated effect of 
all those minor  infractions reaps millions each year.

If the revenue were tagged to go back into making roads  safer - 
either through improved design or to pay for  more patrols - instead 
of being sucked into the  consolidated fund, then the virtue of 
issuing speeding  tickets would not be so regularly held up to 
question  as a cynical and punctilious form of tax-gathering. And 
that is despite the fact that it is all having a  telling effect on 
the road toll and that there is still  plenty of scope to bring it 
down much further.

No one likes being pinged in the back pocket for  travelling a few 
kilometres over the limit - especially  when they regularly witness 
so many worse examples of  poor driving that seem to go unchecked and 
especially  by a fixed camera that penalises forgetfulness rather than speed.

Speed cameras are undemocratic; speed is for those who  can afford 
it. It's certainly not the way to ensure  Police Minister Annette 
King's wish that with road  safety policy the Government wants people 
to change  their ways rather than write out cheques.

So any plans to make the system more rational and  fairer should be 
welcomed. The overhaul of road safety  policy announced this week by 
Ms King and Transport  Safety Minister Harry Duynhoven is to be applauded.

Under the changes, motorists risk losing their licences  for running 
red lights or not wearing seatbelts as  demerit points replace fines 
for some offences. The use  of demerit points gives enforcement more 
integrity and  prevents drivers, especially the young, from treating 
road safety policing with contempt.

Now they will lose their licences and their cars  (providing the 
measure is met with equally vigorous  enforcement) instead of 
gathering huge fines that  eventually become impossible to pay.

One key initiative is a new offence, driving while  impaired by 
illegal drugs, which will bring in roadside  drug-testing as a 
standard policing method.

If evidence of illegal drugs is found, drugged drivers  will be 
prosecuted with penalties that mirror those  levied against drinking drivers.

Given the prevalence of recreational drug use,  recognition of its 
potential contribution to the road  toll is overdue.
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MAP posted-by: Elaine