MOTORISTS WISH

Hokitika Guardian, 29 November 1933, Page 8

MOTORISTS WISH

FOR MORE SEVERE PENALTIES.

FOR DANGEROUS DRIVERS.

WELLINGTON, November 26.

Strong _ efforts . have been made by several members of tile House to induce the Government to legislate making a more severe penalty for the .offence of appropriating tor-cars. Another feature of motoring offences for which the .penalty is inadequate is being represented to the Minister o’ Justice by Mr A. E. Ansell (Coalition Reform, Chalmers). He endeavoured during a discussion on the Estimates to bring the matter before the House, but references to policy are barred 0“ these occasions. The punishment for continuing to drive when a license has been cancelled by the Court for a period appears to be so light that it cannot act as a deterrent. “The Chief Justice in a recent motoring ease,” said Mr Ansell, “laid down the dictum that punishment must, be sufficiently severe to act as a. deterrent, but if a. motorist who, through drunkenness or negligence is deprived by tap Court of his driving license for a period proceeds to defy the. Court, order, the utmost penalty which can be imposed is a fine of £lO. There ha, s been a, case of a man deprived for three year s ot his driving license, and "who was caught soon afterwards, driving a car. The only penal provision which can cover. the position is in the main Act under, the general penalty, clause with its maximum of £lO fine. . But defiance of a Court order which is .intended to keep a .dangerous driver off the roads should., he* treated as a very serious offence, and I am asking the Minister cf Justice, to legislate for a maximum fine of £TCO or three months’ imprisonment in such cases.”