Chester Borrows MP National Party Police Spokesman

08 January 2008

Nearly 6,000 suspended drivers still on roads

National Party Police spokesman Chester Borrows says nearly 6,000 suspended drivers are still on Kiwi roads because no-one's got around to serving them with the paperwork to revoke their licenses.

"Labour Ministers Annette King (Transport) and Harry Duynhoven (Road Safety) must explain the ballooning backlog of unserved suspension notices."

Government figures reveal that while 4,444 drivers currently have their licences suspended, there are another 5,843 drivers who should have had their licences removed but haven't.

"Some of these motorists should have been off our roads four years ago, but they're still out there.

"Given these extraordinary figures, what faith can the public have in recently announced plans to extend the demerit points system, which will logically see even more drivers suspended.

"Annette King needs to justify why she claimed 'demerit points are a far more effective deterrent than fines'** when it has now been revealed that almost 6,000 drivers who should have had their licences suspended, some dating back to 2003, are still behind the wheel.

"It is a ridiculous situation when so many people who shouldn't be driving remain on the road and a threat to the travelling public. Just how inefficient can the justice system and LTNZ be?

"Why is Labour planning to extend a regime which is failing so completely?

"Labour must explain how this outrageous system can qualify for expansion, when they can't even do the job under current provisions.

"This Labour Government likes to raise public expectations on law and order issues, and it never fails to disappoint with a comprehensive programme of under delivery."

Ends

Inquiries: Chester Borrows (021) 722 636

**Annette King 21 December 2007, NZPA - "The emphasis is on changing behaviour, which is why we are increasing demerits and decreasing fines.'' A driver's license is suspended for three months if a driver accumulates more than 100 demerits within a two-year period. King said many young drivers were accumulating large fines, which they could not pay, and the fines did not deter them from driving recklessly. "The message from the consultation programme was that demerit points are a far more effective deterrent than fines."

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