Far North road users among country’s most at-risk when it comes to impaired driving

Road safety charity Brake has highlighted the need to drive absolutely sober. Drivers with just 20-50mg alcohol per 100ml of blood are still at least three times more likely to die in a crash than those with no alcohol in their blood. Photo / Alexandra Newlove

Road safety experts are calling for absolute sobriety while driving this festive season, with holiday and summer parties elevating the nationally-high, year-round risk of death and serious injury in the Far North.

Road safety charity Brake is urging partygoers and organisers alike to ensure people get to and from celebrations safely, and stressed planning as key to everyone’s safety.

The charity wants to see drivers abstain from drinking any amount of alcohol, and encouraged family and friends to speak out to stop a loved one from drink-driving.

According to Waka Kotahi’s 2022 Communities At Risk Register (based on data from the agency’s Crash Analysis System), people in the Far North in particular (and Northland in general) were among the country’s most at-risk road users when it came to alcohol and drug impairment.

The Far North district was also home to the country’s second-highest level of personal risk of death and serious injuries resulting from crashes where alcohol or drug impairment were factors.

By the same measure, the region of Northland ranked a close second only to Gisborne.

Jodi Betts, road safety manager at Far North REAP, said impaired driving was a year-round concern, and stressed everyone had a role to play in avoiding tragedy.

“It’s about people looking after people. Encouraging the right decisions is all we can do.”

Figures from the Ministry of Transport/Te Manatū Waka showed in 2020, alcohol and/or drugs were a factor in 139 fatal and 194 serious injury crashes, resulting in 151 deaths and 261 serious injuries.

According to Brake, drinking any amount of alcohol could affect driving, with drivers testing at just 20-50 milligrams of alcohol per 100 millilitres of blood still at least three times more likely to die in a crash than those with no alcohol in their blood.

Even small amounts of alcohol could affect a driver’s reaction time, judgment, and co-ordination, making it impossible to assess their own impairment and creating a false sense of confidence where they would think they were in control when they weren’t.

Betts explained that many people returning home over summer often created a busier-than-usual social scene, and making deliberate choices was therefore essential to avoiding tragedy.

“With that increase in rural parties comes decisions around drink and drug-impaired driving,” Betts said.

Prior to her current role in road safety, Betts spent a decade working as an alcohol and drug health promoter.

She deconstructed the dangerous logic behind thinking the most sober driver would be the safest choice.

“If a person wasn’t drinking but taking recreational drugs, it may have been thought they’d be the safest driver. That’s a myth. It’s still a poor choice,” Betts said.

She also confirmed that safe options like public transport and taxis were on the decline in the Far North.

“Although there are some licensed premises like hotels, pubs and taverns that have done well to offer courtesy buses, it is limited,” Betts said.

“There are fewer options than there have been previously, so we need to support one another to make good decisions.

“It’s such a big issue. And it’s really about everyone in the environment supporting the right choices.”

Betts was also clear to not assume problematic behaviour lied with one particular demographic.

“Our young people are pretty good at planning ahead, so this is not a ‘youth issue’. Their inexperience factors into crashes more than their attitude or choices do,” Betts said.

“Older people may be used to doing what they’ve always done, and carry on doing it. So we all need to look at our behaviour.

“We’ve known for years that New Zealand’s drinking culture is the problem.”

The sentiment of community responsibility was echoed by Caroline Perry, director of Brake New Zealand, which supports people bereaved and injured in crashes.

She said the consequences of drink-driving were devastating, and appealed to everyone to help stop these preventable events.

“If you’re driving home from celebrations, it’s vital you take your responsibility for people’s safety seriously,” Perry said.

“Even small amounts of alcohol increase your risk of crashing, so even if you feel okay after a drink, the reality is that if you get behind the wheel, you’re putting yourself and others in needless danger.

“The only safe amount of alcohol to have if you’re driving is none.”