Iain Lees-Galloway
Transport Safety Spokesperson

3 February 2012

National negligent on drink-driving

Briefing papers prepared for the Minister of Transport reiterate a culture of negligence within this government around the adult drink-driving limit, says Labour’s Transport Safety spokesperson Iain Lees-Galloway.

“The National Government’s lax approach has seen a decision on whether to lower the adult drink-driving limit stalled until August 2013,” Iain Lees-Galloway said.

“According to the ministry, international evidence finds that reducing the drink-drive limit below 0.08 significantly reduced the number of alcohol-related driving accidents.

“The evidence is clear,” says Iain Lees-Galloway. “Reducing the limit does reduce the number of alcohol-related accidents.

“Legislation proposed by Labour could have had the blood alcohol limit lowered by now. But National insists on politicising the process.

“In 2010, alcohol and drugs contributed to 36 per cent of fatal crashes and 21 per cent of serious injury crashes. These crashes resulted in 142 deaths and 552 serious injuries. The social cost of crashes where alcohol or drugs were a factor was $898 million.

“There is overwhelming public support for lowering the limit and the evidence supports making the change. National’s indifference last term was heartless. Failing to act for yet another year and a half is reprehensible,” Iain Lees-Galloway said.

ENDS

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