A former Minister for Transport Safety has backed a call to limit police chases to extreme emergencies.
Harry Duynhoven, who was Minister for Transport Safety under the Helen Clark government and is now mayor of New Plymouth, says:
“A simple change of legislation would strongly discourage many dangerous high speed chases.”
Duynhoven believes that the police should have the power to permanently seize any privately owned vehicle used to flee from the police, provided that it isn’t stolen.
A leading road safety campaigner has called for a ban on police car chases, except in ‘extreme emergencies’.
Clive Matthew-Wilson, editor of the car review website dogandlemon.com, was commenting after a police chase in South Auckland, in which the fleeing car collided with an innocent motorist. The motorist’s car was written off and the driver injured.
Electronic distractions are becoming a major road safety hazard, says the car review website dogandlemon.com.
Dogandlemon.com editor Clive Matthew-Wilson, who is an active road safety campaigner, says:
“There is now a global, multi-billion dollar industry selling electronic devices that distract the user. Globally, these devices are causing thousands of serious road accidents every day.”
The New Zealand government has finally recognised that safer cars and roads are the key to improving road safety, says the car review website dogandlemon.com.
Commenting on the government’s ‘Safer Roads’ plan, editor Clive Matthew-Wilson says:
“The saddest thing about the government’s ‘Safer Roads’ document is that it’s about fifteen years late. Most of these proposals to improve the safety of cars and roads were proposed by me ten to fifteen years ago, and I was widely attacked for proposing them.
Changes to the vehicle WOF system will result in more road deaths, says the car review website dogandlemon.com.
The New Zealand government’s cellphone ban for drivers has been an utter failure, says the car review website dogandlemon.com.
Dogandlemon.com editor Clive Matthew-Wilson – who is an active road safety campaigner – says:
Cars with their lights on are up to 25% less likely to end up in a fatal daytime collision this Christmas, says the car review website dogandlemon.com.
All new cars should be required to have reversing cameras and parking sensors, says the car review website dogandlemon.com.
Editor Clive Matthew-Wilson, who is an active road safety campaigner, was commenting after the latest driveway death, in which a family vehicle hit and killed a two-year-old boy.
The government needs to provide old people with alternatives to driving cars, says a leading road safety campaigner.
Clive Matthew-Wilson, editor of the car review website dogandlemon.com, was commenting after 29 more people aged 75 or over died or suffered serious injuries on the roads last year.
“After teenage males, old people are one of the highest risk groups on our roads. Old people drive because cars give them a sense of independence, but also, they drive because they have little choice.”