Drunk-driving deaths hit 10-year high

AA's Dylan Thomsen says police are not doing enough alcohol checkpoints. Photo / NZME

By RNZ

Road deaths involving drunk drivers reached a 10-year high last year.

Waka Kotahi figures released to the Automobile Association showed 111 people died in accidents involving a driver over the limit in 2022 - 33 more than in 2021.

AA road safety spokesperson Dylan Thomsen said the leap was hugely concerning.

“Right now New Zealand is losing the battle on drunk-driving. The numbers are getting worse rather than better, and we have to flip that around.”

Thomsen said 2022′s tragically high numbers followed years of missed breath screening targets.

“The target is for police to test three million drivers a year for alcohol, and that level hasn’t been reached since 2014.”

He said testing numbers for the current year were trending up and would be over two million for the first time in years, but there was still more that needed to be done.

“We simply aren’t doing enough alcohol checkpoints. They are a critical tool in preventing deaths and serious injuries on our roads.

“For checkpoints to act as an effective deterrent, drivers need to regularly be seeing them - as well as being a deterrent they are a crucial final line of defence to stop impaired drivers harming themselves and others,” Thomsen said.

Police acknowledged the AA’s findings and said they were committed to reducing deaths on New Zealand roads, but added that it was “disingenuous” to lay the blame entirely with them.

“Any death on the roads is one too many,” said acting Assistant Commissioner Naila Hassan. “We remain committed to reducing deaths and serious injuries on our roads, along with our road safety partners.”

While police had a role to play with regard to the number of breath screening tests conducted, it was “disingenuous to lay the drink driving problem squarely at police’s feet”, she said.

“Everyone has a personal responsibility not to get behind the wheel if they’ve been drinking... We need people to take that responsibility, for the safety of themselves and others.”

Police’s ability to conduct breath tests had been significantly impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic in recent years, Hassan said, although there had been a significant uptick in the number conducted in the past 12 months, with 2.5 million carried out.

Road policing would continue to be a priority, she said, with the key focus being the four main drivers of death and serious injury on New Zealand roads, namely: driving too fast for the conditions; driving while impaired by alcohol, drugs, or fatigue; driving while distracted - including using a cell phone; and not being properly restrained.

“We know complacency can creep in for drivers. But we want you to be aware - you can be stopped at any time,” she said.

“Most of our front-line officers carry breathalysers, so there’s every likelihood that you will be breath-tested on the spot.”

Hassan said one of the worst jobs for police was having to let people know that one of their loved ones had died.

“Our police officers, including our dedicated road policing staff, are passionate about keeping people safe and every day they are out on our roads across the country educating and enforcing safe driving behaviour.”