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Archived Press Releases 2007 14th May 2007

Repeat Offenders are Licenced to Kill

(14th May 2007)

The Sensible Sentencing Trust supports the Police’s call to get tougher on drunk drivers. In particular the Trust would like to see the immediate introduction of tougher measures to help stop repeat impaired divers killing and injuring innocent people.

"We have seen far too many good people, who have nothing to do with their killers’ addictive habits, lose their lives to repeat offenders on New Zealand’s roads,” says Megan McPherson, Sensible Sentencing spokesperson on impaired driving."

"Our country has fallen behind progressive nations in dealing with this group of hard core impaired drivers. These criminals are a breed apart, and too many innocent lives are being lost because these sociopaths are still out there driving," says Mrs McPherson.

Repeat impaired drivers are highly resistant to modifying their potentially lethal behaviour (1). and have high potential to kill and injure other road users. Consequently, Mrs McPherson says that the Sensible Sentencing Trust recommends that:

     1. Repeat offenders never have a driver’s licence returned.

“No civilized country should return drunk or drugged drivers licence more than three times. Yet in New Zealand there are repeat impaired drivers legally driving on our roads today who have had their licences returned in excess of 12 times. No one is safe while these repeat offenders share our roads,” she says.

     2. Significant sentences.

"There is very little deterrent or justice element in the Land Transport Act 1998. In fact it is criminal-centric (2), and victims come last. It currently regards most impaired driving that kills and injures as serious traffic offences when they are violent crimes. This is offensive to all those killed and injured."

“These offenders should be prosecuted for manslaughter or murder, and not get the opportunities to hide behind the current excess alcohol causing death legislation,” says Mrs McPherson.

     3. The compulsory use of breath activated alcohol interlocking devices and marked licence plates for those convicted impaired drivers.

"This technology has proven effectiveness in other countries for reducing recidivist behaviour. The introduction of this life-saving technology is well overdue in New Zealand"

"How many more shattered dreams do New Zealanders need to endure? Today there are many grieving families who are suffering the pain of losing a loved one to these criminals. No New Zealander should have to die because of these people are freely roaming our roads."

"New Zealand’s political leaders need to get real on these serious issues, instead of fiddling while Rome burns. They have really dropped the ball on this and the sad fact it that while New Zealand plays catch-up more innocent lives will needlessly be lost and many more will suffer life altering injuries," says Mrs McPherson.

Regards,

Megan McPherson
Sensible Sentencing Trust
Impaired Driving Spokesperson

Link to recent article: Licensed to Kill

Key Facts

Who gets killed : For every 100 drunk drivers or riders killed in road crashes there are 55 of their passengers and 35 other road users who die with them (Ministry of Transport 2005).

The risk of killing. When a drunk driver has 80mg of alcohol per 100ml of blood they are 16 times more likely to be involved in a fatal crash as a sober driver. This likelihood increases dramatically to 200 times when a drunk driver has 150mg of alcohol per 100ml of blood (still under twice the legal limit). Repeat drunk drivers often have extremely high BAC. (M.O.T 2005)

(1)
According to Mothers Against Drunk Driving (USA), half to three-fourths of drunk drivers with suspended licenses continue to drive.

(2)
The Candour Trust estimates that average time served for excess alcohol causing death in New Zealand is 13 months. This estimate was from statistics from approximately a year ago