More rigour needed to stop postal fraud

I READ with interest the letter (2.9.22) that postal ballots can encourage unlawful voting.

From this article and other factors it appears that postal voting is far from perfect and comes with stories from the student area here in Dunedin.

I too have grave concerns of what might or could happen again.

I have picked up on conversations that named the person involved, along with some enticement to get students involved to do this underhanded work of unlawful voting.

It appears there is no accountability to curb this behaviour, and the DCC electoral officer Clare Sullivan has skirted around this issue by suppling an inappropriate answer to a concerned wouldbe voter (Letters, 22.8.22).

My letter is the fourth of concern to appear on your page and I think the time is right for the Otago Daily Times to step in and take action on behalf of all honest voters to get a much clearer understanding to curb this postal fraud.

Tom Cockerill Andersons Bay

Crackdown ‘witch hunt’

THE article, ‘‘Speedsters, you’ve been warned’’ (ODT, 27.8.22), is misguided folly.

Since 40% to 50% of drivers exceed the limit, and there’s no clear public support for stringent enforcement, this results in alienation of the police.

The practicality/cost of increased ticketing, which results in longterm average speed reduction, being worthwhile is unlikely.

‘‘Apprehending’’ large numbers of ‘‘speedsters’’ doing 1kmh over the limit is a witch hunt.

Science shows accidents are influenced by a combination of driver ability, vehicle performance and road conditions. These should be the focus.

Notably, in 2017 a study found young drivers were overrepresented in the number of fatal and serious injury crashes, with a large proportion on learner or restricted licences.

Admirably, in the same year, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern pledged every student five hours of professional driving lessons, a defensive driving course, and free tests for the learners and restricted licences before they left school. Disappointingly, she later backtracked on the scheme.

Tony Vink Andersons Bay

INSPECTOR Ure believes the science proves that travelling slightly above the speed limit dramatically increases the road toll (ODT, 27.8.22).

However, that is to misunderstand the science.

Just because a few dangerous lunatics travelling at extremely high speeds increase the average speed by 1 kmh does not mean that Joe Bloggs trundling along a couple of kmh over the limit is any danger to himself or anyone else.

It is those few dangerous lunatics that cause the carnage.

Freya Smith Mosgiel

Sorting the silting

DOUGAL Rillstone should be commended for noting the fact that if rivers are allowed to flow naturally there is no need to dredge.

Unfortunately, previous governments placed the Roxburgh and Clyde dams across the Clutha River with the consequent silting up of the river below Alexandra and at Bannockburn.

Many people will remember St Clair and St Kilda beaches before the Roxburgh Dam was built. There was always plenty of sand for Dunedin residents to enjoy.

What is needed now is a regional council, with the vision of Mr Eckhoff, who can put controls on generators to protect the land that is prone to flooding due to mouths of rivers silting up.

Jim Barclay Clyde