Better roads would cut accidents—A.A.

Press, 27 September 1982, Page 6

Better roads would cut accidents—A.A.

PA Auckland Road improvements could reduce traffic accidents, in the view of the retiring president of the New Zealand Automobile Association. Mr J. A. Connolly. He said that there was concern in the association about the number of traffic accidents, noting that last yean , there were 671 road deaths, compared with 596 in 1980.

This year the road toll to August 31 was 466, compared with 430 at the corresponding time last year, Mr Connolly said. It was essential that roads be improved, and he believed improvements- could reduce road accidents and the extent of injuries. . . ...

In his report to the association’s annual conference, Mr Connolly said the association was far from satisfied with road development because of monetary restraints imposed on the National Roads Board

by the Government. He said the association had asked the Minister of Transport, Mr Gair, to:,

® Increase traffic-enforce-ment staff to catch more drinking drivers. ® Test drivers for alcohol levels at random, at properly established mobile testing stations.

® Speed court action and remove technical defences by clear legislation.

® Adopt the recommendations of the working party on the rehabilitation of alcoholimpared drivers. Mr Connolly said there was complete acceptance of the principle that traffic education should begin with preschool children and continue throughout the school years, yet the Ministry of Transport had little contact with preschoolers and secondary schools. The association had drawn Mr Gair’s attention to this, and a new study on traffic education in schools was about to be released.