Ministry sees no drop in drinking-driving

Press, 30 October 1981, Page 4

Ministry sees no drop in drinking-driving

Drinking drivers in Christchurch do not appear to be deterred by repeated blitzes on them by traffic officers and by Ministry of Transport publicity campaigns, according to the Ministry. The chief traffic officer in Christchurch. Mr W. R. Fox, said that the number of drivers stopped on Christchurch roads during a blitz against drinking drivers during Labour Day week-end was the same as that in previous campaigns. “There has been no decrease in the number of offenders,” he said. “The figures are consistent with other campaigns.”

Mr Fox said that another, longer campaign against drinking drivers would start on November 25 and would end on January 3, with particular emphasis on weekends.

“To run such a campaign takes a special effort from the traffic officers. They must work beyond normal hours and this has to be

balanced against the time they spend away from their families.

“During the Labour Day week-end blitz, 82 hours of overtime were worked by traffic officers. It is all done on a voluntary basis.”

Mr Fox said that in the Christchurch metropolitan area 41 motorists had been given screening tests between 4 p.m. last Friday and 8 a.m. on Tuesday. Eight of the tests had been negative, 24 positive breath tests had been recorded, 14 blood samples had been taken and three had been refused, three persons had been arrested for drinking-driving offences, and four blood samples had been requested from accident victims admitted to hospital. Throughout New Zealand during the week-end, traffic officers had assisted 1784 motorists, had taken vehicle keys from 523 motorists, and had given a screening breath test to 594 people, of whom 354 had been given an evidential breath test and 168 had given blood samples.