“New resource helps to break the cycle of repeat drink driving”

2 November 2001

Media release.

RoadSafe Auckland is a region wide road safety group made up of representatives from Auckland’s seven Territorial Authorities, Regional Council, Land Transport Safety Authority (LTSA), NZ Police, Transit New Zealand, ACC, Auckland Healthcare, Alcohol Advisory Council (ALAC), Safekids and the Ministry of Health.

http://www.roadsafeauckland.org.nz

A new road safety resource, called “Breaking the Cycle’ was launched today by the Auckland Regional Council and RoadSafe Auckland to help combat the increase in repeat drink driving offences. While alcohol related crashes are declining overall, latest statistics released by the police show a staggering 45% of male drink drive offenders over 20 years of age within the Auckland region have had one or more previous drink drive convictions. Minister of Corrections, the Hon. Matt Robson says, “Repeat drink driving is now a major issue, which needs a comprehensive inter-agency approach. RoadSafe Auckland are to be congratulated for their initiative to raise awareness of the ways to address repeat drink driving.”

The new resource provides background information and outlines strategies for professionals coming into contact with repeat drink drivers, and is the outcome of a regional Repeat Drink Driver forum held earlier in the year. This comprehensive resource encourages a number of interventions such as enforcement, sentencing, sanctions, education, rehabilitation and monitoring to promote behaviour change in repeat drink drive offenders.

Professionals, such as Alcohol & Drug counsellors, Corrections officers, Police, Court, medical and health staff will be encouraged to work more collaboratively in changing the behaviour of repeat drink drivers who do not seem to be put off by having to appear in court. “For repeat drink drivers, it is not just the single issue of drinking and driving. They are also likely to have an alcohol problem for which they should receive help”, says Ron Tustin, Auckland Regional Manager for the Alcohol Advisory Council.

“Sustained advertising, police efforts and community action such as host responsibility programmes have brought about a significant reduction in drink driving amongst the general public, but we now are faced with deterring a hard core, which will take continued innovative policing along with the support of the health and justice sectors” says Peter Kippenberger, Regional Manager for the Land Transport Safety Authority. “This resource will encourage these agencies to take a more serious and lasting approach towards changing the offending of repeat drink drivers,” he adds.

The resource will be launched by the Minister of Corrections, the Hon. Matt Robson, and is part of a comprehensive approach targeting repeat drink drivers in the region. Police have already increased their efforts to identify and prosecute repeat drink drivers for this high-risk behaviour and Community Corrections have established a MODS (Making Our Drivers Safer) rehabilitation programme for repeat offenders.

The resource is available on line along with more information on drink

driving at our web site http://www.roadsafeauckland.org.nz

The media are welcome to attend the launch in the Jury Assembly Room, Ground Floor, Manukau District Court, 30 Wiri Station Road on Friday 2nd November, 2001 from 2.00pm to 3:30pm including afternoon tea.

For more information, please do not hesitate in contacting:

- RoadSafe Auckland, Andrew Bell (09-366 2000 extn 7067 or 021 458 622)

- LTSA, Peter Kippenberger (09-357-1607)

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