Time to refocus road safety, says campaigner

The police should leave ordinary drivers alone and instead concentrate on the groups who cause most accidents, says the car review website dogandlemon.com

Editor Clive Matthew-Wilson, who is an active road safety campaigner, says:

“The police strategy of trying to lower the road toll by ticketing ordinary motorists hasn't worked, because ordinary motorists were never really the problem. However, even when the police strategy of enforcement and persuasion has been shown not to work, the police remain in denial."

“The police blame speed and alcohol as a strong factor in many fatalities, but it’s not ordinary motorists who are speeding and driving drunk; it’s a tiny minority who are largely alienated from mainstream life.”

“Why then, is police enforcement focused mainly on ordinary drivers?”

"However much the government tries to massage the figures, about 80% of fatalities occur at speeds below the legal limit. Of the 20% of fatal accidents that occur over the speed limit, most involve either motorcyclists, or working-class males on the edge of the criminal community who are often blotto or tired or both. The government’s own studies show this.”

A 2009 AA summary of 300 fatal crashes found: “It is apparent that [many speed-based road fatalities] were caused by people who don't care about any kind of rules. These are men who speed, drink, don't wear safety belts, have no valid license or WoF - who are basically renegades. They usually end up wrapped around a tree, but they can also overtake across a yellow line and take out other motorists as well.”

Matthew-Wilson asks:

“Perhaps, the police could explain how ticketing otherwise law abiding families who have drifted a few kms over the speed limit, will stop the high risk drivers?. That's a bit like trying to stop bank robberies by targeting shoplifting."

Matthew-Wilson says the police TV advertisements are based on equally shoddy science.

“As a matter of cold, scientific fact, fatal road accidents are mainly caused by five groups: substance abusers, tired drivers, reckless drivers, the very young and the very old. All five of these groups are largely immune to road safety messages and enforcement because they believe they’re already doing okay.”

According to the 2009 AA summary:

“road safety messages on TV are often misleading… For example, government advertising suggests you should be grateful to receive a speeding ticket because it will save your life. In fact, exceeding speed limits isn’t a major issue. Police surveying has found that even the top 15% of open-road speeders average under the [previous] 110km/h ticketing threshold.”

Matthew-Wilson says there are a number of key steps that would dramatically lower the road toll.

“It is now universally acknowledged that the main reasons for the lower road toll in recent years are safer roads, safer cars and better medical care. We must also try and prevent high-risk drivers getting behind the wheels of cars and keep large trucks to a minimum. That’s the way to ensure a safe future for all the people using our roads.”

“In the 1980s, the Auckland harbour bridge used to suffer one serious road accident every week. After a concrete barrier was installed down the middle, the serious accidents stopped immediately. There wasn’t one less hoon or drunk driver, yet the accidents stopped simply because the road was changed in a way that prevented mistakes from becoming fatalities.”

For further information please contact dogandlemon.com.

ENDS

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