Tuesday, 1 October 2019 - 9:21am |
National News

Not feeling up to it, don’t drive

2 min read

New Zealand Police, the NZ Transport Agency, and St John are all calling on people to stop taking risks with their lives and the lives of others on the road around them.

“People are still getting behind the wheel when they are drunk, high, or too tired to drive,” says Inspector Gini Welch, Acting National Manager for Road Policing.

Inspector Welch says it’s important to plan ahead if you’re drinking; organise a sober driver, share a cab, or leave cab money in your mailbox.

“And if you hadn’t planned to drink but you find yourself doing so, make a plan B before you’ve had too much alcohol to make a sensible decision.”

St John Territory Manager Lisa Buckingham says their ambulances officers see the devastating results of drink-driving.

“All too often we are called to crashes where people are needlessly injured or killed due to drunk drivers. Our staff deal with some extremely traumatic injuries and challenging scenes.”

NZ Transport Agency General Manager Safety, Health and Environment Greg Lazzaro says drivers need to understand the consequences of their actions and take responsibility for the decisions they make.

“Drink-driving inflicts a huge amount of pain and suffering on New Zealand families and communities, and it’s incredibly disappointing that so many people continue to put themselves and others at risk by driving while impaired. Police are working hard to keep our roads safe, but we all need to make good decisions when it comes to alcohol and driving.”

Mr Lazzaro says NZTA’s current drink-driving advertising campaign drink-driving advertising campaign aims to reminds people that in addition to the safety risks, drink-driving also has potentially dire consequences for individual drivers.

“The consequences of a drink-driving charge or conviction can be disastrous. Not only can it mean a loss of face with family, friends, and work colleagues, there is also the very real potential of losing your job, your insurance and your credibility, especially for first-time offenders.”

Inspector Welch says it’s about making sensible decisions before you get in a vehicle. Everybody knows you shouldn’t drive after you’ve been drinking. People also know it’s hard to concentrate when you’re exhausted.

“Driving tired can be just as dangerous as driving drunk or drugged. When you’re driving you need to be sober, focused, and alert.

“Road safety is up to everybody on the road, so look after yourselves and other road users."

ENDS

Issued by Police Media Centre