Road safety pioneer dies

John Bailey, one of New Zealand's pioneer road safety researchers, has died of motor neurone disease in Porirua's Kenepuru Hospital. He was 61.

His beliefs that graphic anti-drink-drive advertising was counter-productive and that campaigns needed to focus on a small hard core of drunk drivers put him offside with road safety bureaucrats.

Nevertheless, he continued to speak out.

He argued that repeat drink-drivers needed treatment, not punishment, and that people who drove after two or three drinks were not a risk.

Dr Bailey was frequently sought out as a media commentator on road safety issues and regularly appeared before parliamentary select committees.

Born and educated in Wellington, he graduated with bachelor's and master's degrees in chemistry and mathematics at Victoria University before completing a doctorate in quantum chemistry at Oxford University.

Returning to New Zealand in 1970, he joined the chemistry division of the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research.

Within a year he was asked to comment on whether the recently introduced blood-testing of drivers was having an effect on reducing the road toll. That started an interest in traffic safety and the road toll that continued for the rest of his life.

In 1996 Dr Bailey was made redundant from Environmental Science and Research. He and his wife, Margaret, then set up a road safety consultancy.

Though he had been in poor health in recent years, his motor neurone disease was diagnosed only a month before he died. His funeral was held on Monday.

- NZPA