DEADLINES

Ruapehu Bulletin, Volume 6, Issue 284, 25 April 1989, Page 9

DEADLINES

A special Bulletin/Community Newsp Association report on road carnage

New Zealanders are among the worst drivers in the western world. For sheer aggressiveness, selfishness and plain stupidity on the roads we would be hard to beat. As a nation, we are seemingly so lacking in imagination, and our sensibilities so dulled by the vicarious thrills of watching blood and gore on TV in the comfort of our own living rooms, that we believe we are immune from tragedy on the road, either as victims or - perhaps worse - slayers. Every Monday moming we read of the latest casualties which occurred over the weekend. Often they are people we know, or know of personally, whose bodies are now mashed - sometimes to extreme of paraplegism - whose lives have been violently changed or terminated. We may,

perhaps, register temporary disbelief and shock at the needless waste of young and promising lives, but we allow the warfare to continue. The material on the road toll theme which appears in this publication was assembled and published at a newspaper production workshop held for members of the New Zealand Community Newspaper Association under the experienced eyes of highly regarded tutors within the industry. The road toll theme was chosen as one worthy of such an organised, collective effort not only for a conference exercise but also for any contribution which could be made to the communities which member newspaper serve. The tendency to put a lot of emphasis on roading improvements

such as the provision of median barriers is certainly contributing to a downward trend in the present accident . rate. But changes in attitudes to driving and road use would surely have more dramatic effect. For instance, when it is more generally recognised that a driver's licence is a privilege which should be forfeited perhaps for life if abused and that drunken or aggressive behaviour on our roads will simply not be tolerated, the carnage would be cut drastically. Until society us prepared to pay the cost of quality driver education and identification together with some really stiff penalties for certain misdemeanours - particularly those con-

cerning alcohol - our waiting lists are unlikely to shorten and undertakers will be kept busy.

On an individual level, however, we can act positively by exercising much more courtesy, patience , self re-

straint and general regard for the well-being of other road users so that we may avoid killing or maiming ei-

ther ourselves, or our loved ones, or the perfect stranger.

Jock Crawford President NZCNA