Easter toll 14

Press, 9 April 1980, Page 2

Easter toll 14

PA Wellington ■The road death toll for' the Easter holiday period was 14, four more than for the same period last year. The Easter fatalities brought to 156 the number of- road accident deaths so far this year, compared with 122 last year. The spate of holiday deaths was in spite of an intensive Ministry of Transport campaign aimed at keeping drinking drivers off the road.

Ministry officers throughout New Zealand reported

that many ' motorists dis-' regarded the campaign, in| spite of widespread advertising informing the public that special squads would be on the lookout for alcohol-im-paired drivers. Hundreds of New Zealand motorists were stopped, although less than half returned' positive tests.. The Ministry’s chief traffic superintendent (Mr Al A. Roxburgh) said that although the number of drinking drivers was higher than had been hoped, the blitz was going “very well.”

The numbers of motorists being stopped indicated the need to continue the campaign, which would run until after Queen’s Birthday weekend, he said. Mr Roxburgh said the Ministry believed its campaign was holding the incidence of drinking and_ driving below the level of two years ago. In at least two cities — Christchurch and Wellington — the traffic departments warned that they planned to step up efforts to keep drunken drivers off the road.