Lower road toll: Letters, 6 January

The Bay of Plenty Times welcomes letters and comments from readers. Here you can read the letters we have published in your newspaper today.

Let's thank Wall St for the reduced road toll

I read with some satisfaction in the Bay of Plenty Times that the annual road toll has dropped dramatically, by 25 per cent, to be the lowest in at least 50 years.

Surely this has not "suddenly" happened.

I can't help but think how much safer driving has become over the years with better roading and better vehicles.

Rather than patting our policemen on the back for a job well done in stopping speeding drivers, maybe we should be looking at the real game changers. The average speed on our roads, according to annual government surveys, has plateaued at around 96km/h during the past four years.

That says to me speed reduction can't really be the cause of the sudden drop. Maybe the roads are getting safer? Maybe it's law changes that have kicked in during the past 12 months? Maybe we are magically becoming better drivers or that government TV advertising has changed our attitudes.

None of the above - so what is contributing to such a solid decrease in fatalities? It's called a recession.

If we look at the number of kilometres driven in the past year compared with previous years, I would bet London to a brick that the numbers will be way down.

So let's stop the self-congratulations of the various traffic lobby groups and thank Wall St for not only making us poorer, but safer on the road.

(Abridged)

Roy Edwards, Tauranga

Growing concern

I  have been looking into the government Food Bill 160-2, which Kate Wilkinson currently has before Parliament.

I am baffled by the legalese in which it is written.

I rang the local number for the National Party and there was no reply - not even an answerphone.

I have emailed Phil Goff, but of course they are all on holiday.

I finally spoke to a nice woman from NZ First who looked into it for me and verified that it is to do with control of food in world trade.

I have heard many permutations of the possible outcome of this bill and would like to know more about the implications for me, as an ordinary citizen with a small vegetable garden.

Is it really going to be a crime to even have said vegetable garden? Likewise, is it also going to be a crime if I give away my produce to my family, friends or neighbours?

What about the wonderful farmers' markets and roadside stalls - are they going to be legislated out of existence?

I would like someone with full knowledge of this to reply to me in ordinary language that I and the rest of New Zealand can understand.

(Abridged)

Robin Bishop, Pyes Pa