High-speed chases

Press, 18 October 1978, Page 11

High-speed chases

Sir, — High-speed pursuits by law enforcement officers in high density a -as have resulted in the deaths recently of three persons, the latest being a 16-year-old Nelson youth. Does the Minister of Transport concur with this form of apprehension in which his officers endanger the lives of the offender, the bystander and their ovm. If he is against this practice what action has he taken to curtail such activities? — Yours, etc., T. D. P. WISEMAN, Woodend. October 3, 1978. (The Minister of Transport, Mr McLachlan, replies: “I have directed that traffic enforcement officers of the Ministry are to cease pursuit if pursuit would involve the patrol driver in a breach of regulations other than the speed limit. It is often necessary that the public be warned by the use of the flashing light and the siren of a traffic vehicle of the erratic driving of another vehicle. There have been instances where oncoming traffic has been able to avoid a collision because of this warning. When an officer has the number of the vehicle or knows the identity of the driver, there i 1 no need to pursue other than to warn the public of danger. Ministry of Transport officers do not intentionally create incidents which endanger other people’s lives. Their object is to save life and avoid injury, and to protect people from their own irresponsible actions and the irresponsible ac ions of others. Microwave V'its are used wherever possible to obtain speed patterns and to check speeds without the need for checking by a patrol vehicle. In the Nelson case the vehicle was travelling at high speed and passed a traffic officer who was on foot and later followed. The youth had already collided with a bridge abutment before the traffic officer came on the scene.”)