Inquiry suggested into road toll

Press, 24 April 1984, Page 1

Inquiry suggested into road toll

PA Wellington A road safety commission of inquiry should be set up over this Easter’s road toll of 14, according to a Wellington defensive driving expert, Mr James Thompson. He said three main problems had to be solved: a failure to improve driver skills, inadequate research, and lack of action on proposals for a tiered licensing system. Mr Thompson, director of the Liquor Industry Council and past-president of the Defensive Driving Council, said there was also an urgent need for a co-ordinated strategy involving the many groups concerned with traffic safety. “The whole thing is ad hoc and fragmented,” he said.

The Easter toll was “appalling” and was probably the largest social problem facing New Zealand, he said. It should be given the “highest national priority.” Mr Thompson emphasised that he was not criticising the Ministry of Transport. He agreed that the Ministry was doing its best to combat death and injury on the roads but said the best was something the community could help with. Mr Thompson said there are few programmes to improve driving skills. The Defensive Driving Council programme was under threat because the Accident Compensation Corporation’s safety budget was only $1

million this year and the council’s subsidy could be cut by half. Safety organisations had been trying to persuade Parliament for some years, without success, to introduce a tiered licensing system with a probationary driving period, he said. “As it is now, you can get a licence at 15 and then not be tested again till you are 70.”,

Research was also inadequate, he said, with only one independent and part-time researcher in New Zealand. The Road Safety Research Committee had a budget of only $20,000, “not enough for one decent project,” Mr Thompson said.

In Auckland, the Minister of Transport, Mr Gair, said a commission of inquiry into the road toll would achieve little.

Mr Gair, who is in North Shore Hospital recovering from bowel tumour surgery, said he was naturally disappointed with the Easter road toll.

“I would, however, caution against jumping to conclusions that there is any major new factor involved,” he said. “Frankly I do not think there is.

“The real problems are pretty well known and pretty well documented. In fact, road safety is a subject about which society knows a great deal but does too little,” Mr Gair said.

“It is not a case of ‘Let’s have more traffic officers’. You could not think of a number that we could possibly afford in the way of traffic officers that could supervise the driving behaviour of 1.7 million New Zealanders who have licences.” Traffic officers were out

in force last evening in a bid to stop the road toll rising as holiday-makers returned.

The Ministry of Transport’s assistant chief traffic superintendent, Mr Henry Gore said the Ministry was “pulling out all the stops.” “Every available officer is out there,” he said. City patrols were being sent out to the highways and officers were on extended duties or had been called back to work.

Mr Gore said the Ministry hoped a high profile would curb bad driving tendencies and remind people to be careful. “With a bit of luck we will get them all home safely.” The Ministry of Transport in Christchurch reported last evening that motorists towing caravans were travellihg too close together. Officers had to split up groups of motorists towing caravans on the Main South Road yesterday because of the traffic building up behind them, said Traffic Senior-Sergeant Russell Dellow. “We have to break them up because motorists behind them get a bit impatient and take an extra risk to pass,” he said. Traffic flow on the main highways leading into Christchurch was reasonably heavy yesterday, and this was expected to continue today. By late last evening the number of accidents reported to the Ministry stood at four, with one person injured.

The next issue of “The Press” will be on Thursday, April 26. The newspaper will not be published tomorrow, Anzac Day.