DRASTIC STEPS

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20031, 1 September 1939, Page 4

DRASTIC STEPS

MINISTER URGES NEED SAFETY ON HIGHWAYS TRAFFIC INSPECTORS POWER OF ARREST (Parliamentary Reporter.) WELLINGTON, this day. “We have .to take some drastic measures to prevent this wholesale slaughter on our highways,” declared the Minister of Transport, the Hon. R. Semple, in the House of Representatives last evening, when he explained the new provisions of the Transport Law Amendment Bill relating to drunken drivers. Intoxicating 'liquor, he stated, had been a factor last year in 202 accidents, involving death to 31 persons and injury to 321. There had been 685 convictions in one year of persons found drunk in charge of motor vehicles

Traffic inspectors were to be given the power of arrest and the law would forbid the handling of liquor in a public vehicle. This would .not apply to any private car, but would stop the objectionable practice of handing, round bottles in a public vehicle. The Rt. Hon. J. G. Coates (Nat., Kalpara): Cannot a .man take a bottle home in a parcel? The Minister: Yes, but lie is not going to get rid of it in a public vehicle. Nobody can object to these provisions, I am satisfied: that &0 per cent oil the people* will approve. The Rt. Hon. G. W. Forbes '(Nat, Hutunui): Of the power of arrest? The Minister: We are doing it today, but we have not the legal rig|it. Present Powers He explained that a traffic officer at present could ask a drunken dtriver to go to the police station, but could not insist. “We are going to give a traffic inspector the right of arrest,” continued Mr. Semple, "but we are not going to equip them with revolvers, batons or handcuffs, and we are not going to have scuffles on the highway. They can invite a motorist to go to the police station and if he refuses to go he can. be prosecuted for resisting arrest, but at present he can drive the other way in the car and kill himself or someone else.” Mr. Coates: A traffic cop can order him out of the car.

The Minister replied by - asking what would 1 happen if he refused. These things often occurred on a lonely road: at 2 o’clock in .the morning after a traffic officer had chased a driver at perhap's 70 miles an. hour to catch him. Then the driver could refuse to go to the station. ’ Everything possible was toeing done to reduce accidents, tout it was imperative, lie concluded, that the laW must toe strengthened. Encroachment on Rights Mr. Coates suggested that the .bill made a further encroachment on the rights of private enterprise and business. He said that .the Minister was going a long way when he proposed to give traffic inspectors powers of summary arrest. ' Mr. Semple: The police want it. 1 Mr, Coates: Well will the Minister see to it that inspectors are trained as well as the police? He added 1 that care should be taken not to .take any step, that would prejudice the rights of citizens by giving power to inspectors not competent to •use heir authority, in the same way as the police. The freedom of 1 the citizen was everything in a democracy and it was risky to clothe a traffic officer with the power of arrest when he did not have the same training as the police.

Mr. Semple: Do you know that city traffic inspectors have this right already? ’ Changing the discussion to another clause, Mr. Coates said' that, the bill dictated to a magistrate, who was told that he must not suppress; the name of an offender. Surely it would be wiser to allow the court to decide for itself what was best on the merits of each case.