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Archived Press Releases 2007 11th December 2007

CAMPAIGN TO STOP RANDOM MURDER ON ROADS KICKS OFF WITH A WHITE ROSE

(11th December 2007)

Families of victims killed by repeat drunk and drugged drivers create ‘Cross Roads’ to call for a legislative crack-down on road recidivism.

A new initiative to build awareness of the costs and effects of repeat drunk and drugged drivers has been developed by a group of victims’ families whose ultimate goal is to permanently remove recidivists from public roads.

The families have all united under the Sensible Sentencing Trust’s Cross Roads Campaign.

Cross Roads kicks off with two initiatives:

1. Cross Roads Web Page – a resource so kiwis can fully comprehend the scale of this tragedy.
2. National Cross Roads Day – everyone is encouraged to wear a white rose on Boxing Day to remember kiwis sadly killed or injured by repeat impaired drivers.

"A white rose has been chosen because it’s the colour of the all-too-common roadside cross that marks our loved one’s life and place of death", says SST’s Cross Roads Campaign Spokeswoman, Megan McPherson.

"It’s also the colour of innocence. In no way did any of our loved ones contribute to, or have a choice, about their violent deaths. That choice was made by drunk and drugged drivers."

Cross Roads Web Campaign:

Before Christmas, Sensible Sentencing Trust will launch the new Cross Roads sub-web site (on SST’s main site).

Six families, including Megan’s, have told the story of their loved ones killed by repeat offenders who should never have been driving.

It will also include many disquieting facts and figures and several sensible solutions that the Government should consider.

Facts*

• The repeat impaired drivers we are referring to make up only 1% of all drivers on weekend nights but are involved in nearly 50 percent of all fatal crashes at that time.
• For every 100 drunk drivers that kill themselves on the road, 56 passengers and 39 sober innocent road users will also die.
• Drink driving convictions are rising by about 1000 a year.
• Less than 50 percent of NZ drivers believe it is likely they will be stopped at a checkpoint. (Lowest level since 1999.)
• The average social cost of a fatal car crash is estimated at $3,881,400.

"Politicians are aware that the existing law allows these random killers to continue driving but amending it doesn’t appear like a priority so Cross Roads has been designed to turn up the heat."

"Our motivation is simple. None of us wants any other family to face the same preventable tragedy. We want these killer drivers in their two tonne killing machines off our roads."

"We are all at the crossroads, our country can continue on the murder motorway, or we can choose a much safer way by creating roads free of recidivist impaired drivers."

"The road toll has increased this year, today it stands at 386, that’s 29 more deaths than this time last year and we’re still a fortnight away from the Christmas holiday period. We want to make it clear that in 2008 politicians must deliver what the public wants – safe and civilized roads."

(Megan’s 28 year old brother Jonathon Cutler Keogh (JK) was killed on Mother’s Day last year by a repeat drunk driver at Templeton in Canterbury. He was returning home to Christchurch after a family lunch in Dunedin.)

Megan McPherson
Sensible Sentencing Trust impaired driving spokesperson
megan_andrew@clear.net.nz
Ph 03-4560350
Ph 029-3323-284
Related articles: Licensed to Kill

Regards,

Garth McVicar
National Spokesperson,
Sensible Sentencing Trust.

*Sources:
Survey of public attitudes to road safety, 2006: Summary of results (LTNZ)
Alcohol and Drugs Crash Facts July 2007 (LTNZ)
Social Cost of Road Crashes and Injuries June 2007 (LTNZ)