THE PRESS SATURDAY, DECEMBER 14, 1985. Enforcing the speed limits

Press, 14 December 1985, Page 18

THE PRESS SATURDAY, DECEMBER 14, 1985. Enforcing the speed limits

The prime reason for having traffic police is not to catch those who break the law, but to make the roads safer by encouraging .all motorists to obey the law. The prospect that offenders will be detected and punished remains the most effective way of encouraging law-abiding behaviour on the roads.

Anything that makes detection more likely deserves to be tried. Some law breakers complain that devices such as aerial detection of speeding, or random stopping are unfair. That is nonsense when measured against the potential for harm from reckless or foolish drivers. New Zealand is approaching the holiday period with a dreadful record on the roads this year. The death toll is close to 700 and could be above 730 by December 31, the highest figure for 12 years. Deaths have increased significantly since the speed limit on the open road was raised to 100 km/h on July 1. The higher limit is not the obvious cause of more fatal accidents. Deaths on the open road have gone up 20 per cent since July 1. Those in urban areas, where the speed limit is unchanged, have increased, by as much as 40 per cent. It may be that the higher legal limit has led many drivers to revise their idea of what is a reasonably safe speed in town as well as country. Whatever the reasons for the increase, there can be little dispute that speed kills. The higher the speed, the great likelihood of death or serious injury in any accident, whatever its cause. The Ministry of Transport is introducing more sophisticated ways of detecting speeding offences and is right to do so. Those who appreciate the higher legal limit

on the open road should be the first to encourage strict enforcement. Parliament’s select committee on road safety made clear before the limit was raised that drivers were on trial for a year. On the evidence so far, the committee might be justified next June in deciding that the legal limit must be lowered again. The new enforcement measures may help to persuade many people to drive lawfully and sensibly. Aerial surveillance, .for instance, which the Ministry intends using during the holidays over such routes as the road to Akaroa and the Main South Road, should help to spring unpleasant surprises on drivers who think their excessive speed remains undetected. The new digitector device on or beneath the surface of roads has proved its worth since it was introduced in August, especially on city streets where the older radar dectection could not be used. For those who are caught speeding, the scale of instant fines has been doubled since the end of August. Fines begin now at $2O, for those exceeding the limit by 10 km/h or less, and rise quickly to $2OO for those exceeding the limit by more than 35 km/h. To remind drivers that speed alone is not the only hazard the Ministry also intends using random stopping where it seems necessary, and when staff are available. Many drivers can expect to be stopped, especially in the evenings. Only those who have drunk to excess, or broken the law in some other way, need feel any alarm. For everyone else, the loss of a few moments while being questioned should be more than balanced by the knowledge that the Ministry of Transport’s officers are on their most important job — making the roads a little safer for everyone.