Holiday road toll now record 29

Press, Volume CXII, Issue 32805, 4 January 1972, Page 1

Holiday road toll now record 29

(New Zealand Press Association;

WELLINGTON, January 3.

New Zealand’s road toll became even grimmer today when the Ministry of Transport announced that the holiday-season toll has reached a record 29—three more than in last y ear’s holiday season.

The Ministry said that this toll was likely to become even higher: 190 people are on the seriously injured list in hospitals throughout the country, and two days of the holiday season remain.

The holiday season began on December 24 and will end at 8 a.m. on Wednesday. Alcohol had been a factor in at least six of the 25 fatal motor accidents over the holidays so far—and over the same period’ 22 drivers had been arrested for driving after drinking, 225 given breath tests, and 77 sets of keys had been taken, said the Ministry. Drivers tired Three deaths had been caused by drivers falling asleep at the wheel. Traffic officers had stopped many motorists for traffic breaches committed when the offenders admitted being too tired to realise what they were doing. “In heavy holiday traffic the drinking driver and the drowsy driver are a menace to themselves, their passengers, and all other road users,” the Ministry said. “If you can’t concentrate 100 per cent on the job of driving, please stop the car and get out of the driving seat until you or somebody else is fit to continue.” The Ministry reported that last year’s record road toll now stands at 677, compared with the 1970 toll of 655. Latest deaths The Ministry said the holiday toll had been brought up to the record 29 with the death last night of a motorcyclist after a collision on the southern Auckland motorway, the death of a child struck by a car while crossing the main road near Lake Rotoiti, the death of two

people in a three-car collision I near Hikurangi this afternoon, and the death of a driver from injuries after an accident in which his car left the road near Whangarei on December 27.