Let's not be prissy over speeding, says minister

Harry Duynhoven

Transport Safety Minister Harry Duynhoven says critics should "not be too prissy" over officials exceeding the speed limit.

Governor-General Dame Silvia Cartwright's official driver was ticketed on the Kapiti Coast last weekend after he was caught speeding at around 130km/h while overtaking in a passing lane.

When questioned by the Herald about the incident, Mr Duynhoven said he was not trying to excuse or defend the driver but said: "Let's not be too prissy about this".

It was commonplace for drivers to exceed the speed limit when overtaking.

"It is something that happens every day. I am not meaning to belittle [the prevention of speeding]. We are trying very hard to ensure that people stick to the speed limit."

He had earlier told the Herald on Sunday that "every driver out there when overtaking [exceeds the speed limit]. It's just one of those things that happens."

The Herald understands the police are disappointed with Mr Duynhoven's comments, given their concerted efforts to stop speeding and the recent deaths caused by excessive speed.

Acting national road policing manager Inspector John Kelly would not comment on Mr Duynhoven's view or on the case of the Governor-General's driver, but said overtaking was never an excuse for speeding.

If a person had to travel at an excess speed to overtake, the decision to overtake in the first place was flawed.

Dame Silvia was travelling in a car returning to Government House in Wellington after a ceremony in Palmerston North.

Mr Duynhoven said he was not trying to excuse the driver, who had to obey the law like anyone else. He said Dame Silvia was not at fault, because she was a passenger and might not have been aware the driver was speeding.

He made an analogy with passengers in taxis, saying it would be unusual for someone to tell a taxi driver to slow down.

"We have a whole lot of hypocrisy on this thing. We have a lot of people saying isn't it a shocking thing that the Prime Minister or the Governor- General gets caught speeding while they themselves regularly speed."

News of the Governor-General's driver being ticketed comes days after three men were convicted of dangerous driving during the Prime Minister's dash from Waimate to Christchurch last year. The motorcade travelled at an average of 128.5km/h.

Mr Duynhoven said normally not much attention was paid to the speed of official drivers and it was being focused on now only because it was election year.

"I have been with Prime Minister [Jim] Bolger at above the speed limit. I have been with Prime Minister [David] Lange at above the speed limit."

Act leader Rodney Hide said the Government had diverted enormous police resources to stopping speeding, but was full of excuses when it came to the Prime Minister or the Governor-General.

"It completely throws into disarray the whole message that speed kills."