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Press, 13 June 1978, Page 17

Hundreds in people continue to be killed and maimed by drunken drivers. But drinking and driving appears such an integral part of the New Zealand way of life that the problems on the roads are unlikely to be solved unless social

attitudes change. To find out how drivers convicted of drunken driving view their offences, how they were affected, and how they would solve the problems, four such people were interviewed at random. For obvious reasons, they must remain anonymous.

These points emerged: ★ Most felt they had been unlucky in being canght doing something everyone does.

★ The pattern of social drinking in large taverns or “booze bams,” with extensive car parks alongside, is accepted without question.

★ All who had been convicted are likely to be more cautious when they drink and are faced with driving.

★ There is a feeling that irresponsible drinking-drivers should be dealt

with more harshly—but they are generally seen as someone else.

★ Intensified random testing outside hotels and taverns was not generally favoured.

★ Not one of the four had an overwhelming feeling of having wronged society or of posing a threat to other lives.

★ All are likely to continue drinking and driving—and might well drive over the legal blood-alcohol limit again. KEN COATES reports: