DRINK AND DRIVER
Once more the Minister of Transport (Mr. Semple) has had occasion to draw attention to the menace of the drunken driver on the roads of .this country. There is ample evidence in the records of the Courts for some time past that indulgence in liquor plays a far from negligible part in accentuating the dangers of the road, serious enough already with the rapid increase in motor traffic. After an unusual spell of freedom from fatal accidents in September and early October the last ten days have marred the record with ten deaths, four of which occurred between 6 pjm. and 11 p.m. last Saturday, a time of heavy traffic due to the, holiday movements of the Labour Day weekend. These fatalities are mentioned only to show the seriousness of the accident rate. It is not suggested that any were due to drink. After noting these accidents, the Minister, in his statement today, adds:
Reports have reached me from all over New Zealand regarding the number of vehicles which on Saturday afternoon were in charge of intoxicated drivers. This is serious enough at any time, but when this form of irresponsibility is combined with heavy holiday traffic, the result is disastrous.
The Minister then mentioned that in Auckland alone there were nine "drunk-in-charge" cases pending, apart from a considerable number in other centres. In spite of all the appeals of the Safety Council to motorists, the warnings issued by the Transport Department and the Minister himself and the salutary penalties imposed by the Magistrates on offenders, the evil seems to be growing. The Minister mentioned that the Licensed Victuallers' Association had recognised the seriousness of the position and had undertaken to display in every bar two posterettes prepared by the Transport Department. If these measures are not sufficient to- abate the menace, the Minister has declared his determination to take more drastic steps. He will have behind Mm the full strength of public opinion not only in the community at large, but among motorists themselves. -■
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Bibliographic details
Evening Post, Volume CXXVI, Issue 102, 27 October 1938, Page 8
Word Count
338DRINK AND DRIVER Evening Post, Volume CXXVI, Issue 102, 27 October 1938, Page 8
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