199 sets of keys surrendered

Press, Volume CXIII, Issue 33382, 14 November 1973, Page 7

199 sets of keys surrendered

As well as ordering 192 breath-tests from motorists since the start of the Christchurch traffic blitz on October 18, traffic officers in the city area had taken keys from 199 other drivers, the Christchurch city traffic superintendent (Mr A. Goldsmith) said on Monday.

Of the 192 motorists asked to take breath-tests, (137 had given positive fests, and 16 had refused to take the test, Mr Goldsmith said. Those who refused a breath .test were asked to go to a j police station for tests; if j they refused to go, they were arrested. As a result of the breathI tests, 131 motorists gave blood samples at the police station, and 16 refused to jgive blood. Those refusing to shave a blood sample taken jwere usually charged with refusing to give a sample. Mr Goldsmith said that ! traffic officers had ‘‘made contact” with more than i 15,000 Christchurch motorlists since the Ministry’s .‘‘Project Safety” started, isi suing about 8500 offence notices, giving 6000 verbal warnings, and helping 800 motorists who were in difficulties. The campaign had trebled I the area’s effective patrol I force, and the number of ioffenc.es reported had also i trebled, Mr Goldsmith said. The number of breath-tests ordered, however, had gone ; up about six times, largely because the patrol force on I the roads in the evenings had risen by a similar amount. The increase in the number of drink and driving I offences recorded was not necessarily because more i motorists were drinking and driving, but rather because (there were more traffic

> officers patrolling the roads , to detect drinkers, Mr Gold- , smith said. » Since the campaign start- . ed, there have been 108 ini jury accidents in the city i area, compared with 122 in the same time last year. The! '|most notable drop has been! !in the number of serious in-j ■j juries, which have fallen! ;ifrom 44 in the same time! •jlast year to 21. > The total number of m>i juries has dropped from 170 i;in the same time last year! i to 134.