Take away cellphones and hike demerit points
A monstrous elephant in the room that the Government has woefully dragged its heels on is roadside drug testing.
As the AA points out, New Zealand studies have concluded a third of drivers in fatal and serious injury crashes had some type of drug in their system – predominantly cannabis. But you’re very unlikely to be collared driving off your scone. The police don’t even bother probing drugimpairment if the motorist fails a breath-alcohol test.
All Australian states now routinely carry out roadside testing for drink and drugs and some Aussie states are now catching more people for drugdriving than drink-driving.
The state of Victoria, which has been at the leading edge of developing a rapid detection regime, continues to enjoy a downward trending road toll, down 16 per cent on this time last year.
The AA is demanding rapid roadside testing be implemented here, along with a ‘‘cocktail offence’’, whereby drug and alcohol impairment triggers double penalties.
They’re also challenging the Government to mobilise more red light cameras to high-risk intersections. Christchurch is beset with those impetuous pigs who blithely plough through the reds, habitually and ever more brazenly. Spank them.
Finally, what an earth has gone wrong with the *555 service? On Friday, my father and I both had reason to call *555 about a dangerous driver. After being confronted with a billowing menu of options, neither of our calls were answered within four minutes – so we gave up. It’s simply deficient. A story on Stuff later that day suggested our experience is becoming all too common.
The impending boost to frontline policing can’t come soon enough. But it’s not just sworn officers that are unacceptably stretched. Non-uniformed staff, in the likes of the Police Communications Centre, need greater resourcing too. * Mike Yardley is a Christchurchbased political and travel writer.