Police want tough rules to lower road toll

Police want the Government to lower speed limits, lower breath- and blood-alcohol limits and give all speeding motorists demerit points.

In its briefing to the new Government, NZ Police said strict new controls were the only way to meet the ambitious road safety target of reducing the road toll to 300 deaths a year by 2010, which is stipulated in the national road safety plan.

In the past 12 months 417 have been killed on New Zealand roads.

Police Minister Annette King will be advised over the next two weeks of the options to reduce the road toll.

A spokesman for Ms King said any measures would have to advance road safety and not just be a revenue-gaining exercise. Opposition MPs have repeatedly accused the Government of putting speed ticket take ahead of law-and-order.

Police say there have been considerable gains in recent years to reduce the road toll - in 2002 there was a 40-year low toll of 347 - but in the past two years it had levelled off.

It recommends the Government consider lowering speed limits and breath- and blood-alcohol limits, strengthening police capability to tackle drug impaired driving and increasing sanctions by giving all speeding motorists demerit points.

The police advice indicates the 10km/h tolerance policy police have operated since 2000 will be removed.

The Ministry of Justice has calculated what happens around the country on an average day:

* Police answer 1462 emergency calls and 2571 other calls.
* 1085 crimes are recorded.
* 1036 on-road speed traffic and infringement notices are issued.
* 327 cases are referred for prosecution by the police.