Blitz value may fade

Press, 15 December 1983, Page 1

Blitz value may fade

PA Auckland The Ministry of Transport is heartened by the early results of Operation Checkpoint, but there are signs its effect will be short-lived. Road deaths have dropped in the first two weeks of the campaign against drinking and driving and a senior researcher in the Ministry of Transport, Dr Paul Hurst, says he is getting positive feedback from checkpoint officers.

“Most of it is anecdotal so far but there has been a very low number of drinkimpaired drivers found in checkpoints and I suspect there has been a deterrent effect," Dr Hurst said. "The officers tell us there seems to be an unusually high percentage of women doing the driving at night.” The checkpoint campaign is scheduled to run until February when it will be reviewed in the light of a report to be prepared by the researchers. However, another roadsafety researcher and Auckland forensic scientist, Dr Jim Sprott, says road-death statistics show that publicity about road safety and campaigns has been effective although short-term. He believes the true rate of death on New Zealand roads has been masked by the brief but dramatic effect of several road-safety debates and publicity in the last two years. Publicity has reduced the annual road toll but, after each spate of public interest, the number of deaths has risen again. In November, more than 60 people were killed. Dr Sprott believes that that may be the worst number in one month since 1973. The Ministry of Transport said yesterday that 591 road deaths had been reported so far this year. This compared with 647 at the corresponding time last year. There had been 15 deaths so far this month, compared with 24 at the corresponding time in December last year. In Christchurch, the Ministry says Operation Checkpoint has had “remarkable” success, with the accident rate well down on the figure for this time last year. Senior-Sergeant I. L. Freeman said that the Ministry would hear of 15 to 20 road accidents on a normal Saturday night last year. The Ministry was told of two last Saturday night — one injury accident and one non-injury accident. The previous Saturday, no accidents had been reported. “That is an indication of the effectiveness of the checkpoints,” he said. Aust, blitz report, page 23