When Beer Takes Over The Car Wheel

Chronicle (Levin), 12 October 1949, Page 5

When Beer Takes Over The Car Wheel

WELLINGTON, Oct. 11. In the past two years 269 New Zealand road accidents which brought injury or worse (to those directly responsible or to unfortunate victims) were accidents to which drink contributed. Or to state the ease quite bluntlv, 269 miserable accidents occurred when drunks were in charge or when drivers, though not plain drunk, were so appreciably "under the influence" that they were taking (and must have known they, were takiug) inexcusable risks. How many more road accidents were caused by drunks in charge nobody knows, for the drunken driver who gets away with a repair bill does not go to any particular trouble to report to the police or the traffic authorities: — ■ "Frankly, sir, it was my fault. I was drunk at the time. " He pays up and sliuts up. But, taking no account of these property 'damage accidents, 114 in 1947 and 155 in 1948 are dangerous numbers — with an increase of 40 per cent. Jast year. To be able to tackle the drunken driver danger it is necessary to know, beyond guesswork, when and where drivers do get drunk (or, if that offends too deeply the flner feelings, beeome under the influence of liquor). Exhaustive Analysis.

The Transport Department has been to oonisderable trouble to do so, going through everv report to get down to the facts. These are some of the results offihe analysis: — Saturdav is by far the worst day, with 115 of the 269 accidents. Friday ,-is next, with 41. Sun day had 36 drunken drivers. The Sun day figure, however, is in big part a carry-over from the Saturday night binge, partv, weekend dance, or whatever it is, for twenty of Sunday's accidents occurred -between midnight and four in the morning. I Bars, says the law, are not open on Sundavs, but 16 drivers eontrived to get ! drunk enough on- Sunday afternoons and evenings to make trouble. Possibly home brew has something to answer for there. Tuesday, ■ with 14 drunken drivers, was the lightest day. Monday had 2.1, Wednesday 19, and Thursday 23. Of 224 drivers whose cases were analysed as to ages all were i males except three women. They were ! old enough to know better, at 26, 32, and 35 years. ' By far the greater number of the , drunken, semi-druken, or slightly I - dtunken, dangerous irresponsibles at !

the wheel were between the ages o± 2u and 50 years. The Dangerous -Age. Fifty per cent. of all drunken drivers were between 20 and 30 years. This is the dangerous age. Seven youths were in trouble, anu after 50 drivers seem to have more sense about mixing petrol and aleohoi. The analysis, of course, goes deeper than these general figures. That is why late drivers see patrolmen still out and about well into the morning, on this road or that, where, by proof of accident records, drunks mostly do drive to i their own and, the common danger.