Blood tests on bodies wanted
PA Auckland Blood samples should be taken from all drivers who die within six hours of road accidents, according to Dr John Bailey, of the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research.
Such information would help researchers to determine why random stopping was not as effective as random breath-testing in New South Wales, where the road toll dropped 26 per cent in the first year. Random stopping had been introduced in New Zealand in 1984 but drinkdriving fatalities had remained virtually constant for the last six or seven years. ' Dr Bailey said he would like also to see blood samples taken from all drivers admitted to a number of selected main hospitals after non-fatal accidents. In most Australian states blood samples were taken as a matter of rou-
tine from injured drivers admitted to hospitals. “The quality of information about alcohol involvement in road accidents in New Zealand is poor compared with that in Australia. This hinders those of us trying to assist in efforts to reduce the cost of road accidents involving alcohol.” It was important to understand that alcohol was a big factor in serious road accidents, involved in 50 per cent of fatalities. It was not a main factor in less serious accidents. “The best estimate is that alcohol is involved in about eight per cent of road accidents.” The Ministry of Transport’s Assistant Chief Traffic Superintendent, Mr Henry Gore, supported Dr Bailey’s call for more research and reliable date.
The Ministry needed to get a clearer picture of where problems lay, so it could develop strategies, he said.
Blood tests on bodies wanted
Press, 20 January 1987, Page 1
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