DRUNKEN DRIVERS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26771, 14 May 1948, Page 8

DRUNKEN DRIVERS

SUSPENSIONS REMITTED MOTOR OFFICIAL EXPRESSES CONCERN P.A. WELLINGTON, May 13. “There appears to be a variation in the view taken of the drunken driver problem by the Transport Department and the Justice Department,” said the chairman of the council of the Automobile Association (Wellington), Mr E. A. Batt, to-day. “ The Minister of Transport, Mr Hackett, has been very active in advocating greater safety on the roads. In contradistinction to this, the Justice Department has in some cases reduced the penalty on drunken drivers—the type which is tho greatest menace to road safety.” Giving details, Mr Batt said he had been talking to two traffic officers. One officer had said: “That fellow was convi.cted of being drunk in charge. He was fined £2O and put off the road for 12 months. He was back on the road in six months.” Mr Batt said he had found from official sources that what the officer said was correct. After a conviction last June, the driver mentioned had been able to get his disqualification removed. The discussion in official quarters on this case had revealed threp others, two in Wellington and one in Palmerstori North: In one case a 12 months’ penalty was reduced to three months, and in the other, two to six months.'" It was ascertained that responsibility for the reductions lay with the Justice Department. The Transport Department knew nothing of them unless by hearsay. “ There may be a deeper significance in these four cases, which arose almost casually out of one.” concluded Mr Batt. “How many other similar instances are there? ”