INTOXICATED DRIVERS

Press, Volume LXXXVIII, Issue 26869, 23 October 1952, Page 6

INTOXICATED DRIVERS

EXAMINATION BY DOCTORS VIEWS OF ROAD SAFETY COUNCIL (New zmapd Press Association) • WELLINGTON, October 22. “In the opinion of the Road Safety Council of New Zealand, a responsible police officer 6r ; transport or traffic officer is Just as competent as a medical man to form an opinion and to give evidence in Court as to the unfitness of a driver to have charge of a motor-vehicle.” said the Commissioner of Transport (Mr G. L. Laurenson) today. He was asked his view of statements made in the Magistrate's Court yesterday that medical opinion should always be sought when an arrest is made bn a drunken driving charge. “Drunken driving and drinking drivers cause a shockingly high proportion of road deaths and accidents,” said Mr Laurenson. “Therefore, the question of the acceptability of police, transport, or traffic evidence is of first importance to the public of this country, and the more so because of the elearly-stated view of spokesmen for the British Medical Association and the frankly-stated reluctance of many medical men to attend police stations and later appear in Court.” The Road Safety Council did not reach its conclusion lightly", he added. The problem of the intoxicated driver was the main subject for the meeting of the council in February, when Dr. P. Lynch, a pathologist, addressed members and expressed the definite opinion that a doctor was no more competent than an experienced police or other officer to state' an opinion to may be raised, as to whether the man’s condition would be accounted for by some condition other than alcohol.” the Court. Mr Laurenson quoted Dr. D. S. Rhind. the medical representative on the council, as agreeging. “A medical man,” Dr. Rhind said, “is only of importance when some other question