Drink-drive campaign nets many

Press, 7 June 1983, Page 8

Drink-drive campaign nets many

The large number of drinking drivers in Christchurch during the holiday week-end has disappointed Ministry of Transport officers. What made it worse, said Sergeant G. W. Scott, was that there had been extensive publicity before the holiday. From 4 p.m. on Friday, when the anti-drink drive campaign began, until 9 p.m. yesterday the Ministry attended 18 injury accidents and 17 non-injury accidents. Traffic officers administered 60 breath-screening tests, and 34 evidential breath tests, and 20 blood samples were taken. Three drivers were arrested on blood-alcohol related incidents, said Sergeant Scott.

There were no problems on main roads in and out of Christchurch and traffic behaviour, on the whole, was good, he said. Traffic conditions on the Main North Road were generally quiet yesterday but on State highway 1 south of Christchurch the traffic build-up was described as “very heavy.” The race meeting, held at Ashburton, contributed to the build-up.

As a result of the weekend’s findings, he said, future blitzes would no

doubt be carried out in the city.

Because of the scarcity of serious road injuries, this Queen’s Birthday holiday week-end had been “the best for a long time,” said a spokesman at the Christchurch Hospital yesterday. A number of persons were taken to hospital by the St John Ambulance during the three days, but most were listed as “not serious,” and were treated and discharged, or admitted for observation.