Keys kept of 524 drivers

Press, Volume CXVI, Issue 34047, 10 January 1976, Page 12

Keys kept of 524 drivers

(N.Z. Press Association) WELLINGTON. Traffic officers kept 524 drivers off the roads during the Christmas and New Year period because they were “potentially dangerous.” Their keys were confiscated because traffic officers considered them unfit to drive for health and emotional reasons, or because they were too drunk. Assistant Chief Traffic Superintendent A. A. Roxburgh said that the drivers in the former category were usually very excited when approached by a traffic officer. “They may have argued with their wives and become temporarily a potential suicide,” he said. “We probably get about 50 or 60 drivers like this each year. “Some years ago, in Auckland, one driver was livid when spoken to. He may have had a bad day at the races. But his keys were not taken away and he drove off (and killed an elderly lady 200

yards down the road,” Mr Roxburgh said. Drugs prescribed by doctors also endangered driving, he said. “Many drugs do not have sufficient warning about driving or it is not emphasised,” (Mr Roxburgh said. “One driver stopped rercently had been given a drug by his doctor and told to get to hospital. We stopped him on the way because he was obviously unfit to drive.” he said. Mr Roxburgh said that individual traffic officers were left to decide whether a driver was unfit to drive for emotional or health reasons. Traffic officers had set a new record this holiday season for writing tickets, the Director of Road Transport ( (Mr M. W. Cory) said today, i Forty-eight people were ar- ! rested for drunken driving of ■ the 497 people given breath ! tests, he said. A total of 26,850 people were stopped for traffic offences and about half of them would be prosecuted, Mr Croy said. “However, the accident rate is well below previous holiday seasons,” he said. Driving speeds had contributed to this.