INDEPENDENT NEWS

Road Safety Protest

Published: Tue 22 Aug 2006 02:40 PM
Road Safety Protest Wellington Railway Station Forecourt Friday 25/8 9.30am
A small group of road victims will be protesting Labours botched revenue based 2010 road safety policy, which aims to sustain a relatively high toll. Serious crashes and injuries are increasing (last 3 years) and the official toll (under reported by Police) is more flat-lining than dropping based upon other Depts statistics.
The Breen report indicates 2010 performance targets will be undershot 25% and we believe people are being killed and maimed by Labours cheap and really quite criminal negligence. At a time the statutory obligation of the Director of LTNZ to privide for safety has just been removed. Drug driving inaction is a case on point.
The protest will highlight both the nature of the bungling of road safety by MOT/Police/LTNZ jointly which is best summed up as "greed kills" or the "greatest enforceable risk policy" (versus targeting the greatest road safety risks). This policy is a unique social experiment. And also the solutions including better infrastructure will be held up.
Protest is being held just before the weekend as a timely reminder to the 30 000 passing by the railway station each day, around 600 of whom will die on the road if there is no radical change to our Transport Policy. Said by the Breen report to be in conflict with the Injury Prevention Strategy. There will be opportunity to lay flowers at the large victim Memorial site which will be set up for the day.
About us - Rachael Fords mother was killed by a drug driver due to inadequacies in the law, Martin Jenkins father died due to drowsy driving. Both of these toll causes are independently bigger factors than over limit speeding yet we hear nothing about them - and nothing is done, due to the "greatest enforceable risk" foundation to policy!
ENDS

Next in New Zealand politics

Maori Authority Warns Government On Fast Track Legislation
By: National Maori Authority
Comprehensive Partnership The Goal For NZ And The Philippines
By: New Zealand Government
Canterbury Spotted Skink In Serious Trouble
By: Department of Conservation
Oranga Tamariki Cuts Commit Tamariki To State Abuse
By: Te Pati Maori
Inflation Data Shows Need For A Plan On Climate And Population
By: New Zealand Council of Trade Unions
Annual Inflation At 4.0 Percent
By: Statistics New Zealand
View as: DESKTOP | MOBILE © Scoop Media