Settled, stable - and racing to early death

SCOTT MacLEOD transport reporter

Fifty years ago Walt Disney invented a friendly cartoon character who turned into a snarling maniac as soon as he gripped the steering-wheel of his car.

Goofy's metamorphosis from Mr Walker to Mr Wheeler in the 1950 film Motor Mania was akin to Dr Jekyll turning into Mr Hyde.

It was also, says our Land Transport Safety Authority, something akin to what happens to the typical person who speeds on New Zealand roads.

For although many people think that our speedsters tend to be teenagers in modified cars, the reality is that many people who crash at high speed are aged 25 to 39, entering their supposedly settled years with families and good jobs.

The LTSA says the Kiwi Mr or Ms Wheeler - 30 per cent are women - rarely thinks about what might happen if he or she crashes.

Speed-demon Wheelers keep the tyres, brakes and other safety features on their fast cars in top condition.

They consider themselves smart drivers, superior to hoons. They think they have the vehicles and skills to handle speed.

Until they crash.

Hence the main slogan of this summer's LTSA, police and local authority road safety campaign: "Are you a part of the dying race?" which targets the hidden hoons lurking in middle New Zealand.

Road-safety experts have targeted speedsters for years, but the latest campaign is especially aimed at middle-class Northland, Auckland and Waikato.

LTSA director Reg Barrett says that despite years of campaigning, speed is still the single biggest killer on the roads - bigger than alcohol, fatigue or driver inattention.

It contributes to one-third of deaths in smashes.

In 1999 the average speed of motorists on state highways was 104.2 km/h, and 60 per cent of all motorists broke the speed limit. The new campaign aims to pull the average figure down to 102 km/h.

The LTSA's market research shows that the Wheelers drive fastest when they are alone in their cars. A note attached to the research says: "These are the guys that belt along at 130/140 km/h on a nice stretch of road - in charge, superior drivers, immune."

The research also found that most Wheelers think they are experienced enough to drive much faster than the speed limit. Some speed to relax and others speed to challenge themselves, but always they feel in control of their vehicles.

The LTSA says its "the faster you go the bigger the mess" advertisements appear to be having an effect, but speeding is psychologically ingrained to the point that any change in behaviour is slow in coming.

Northland, Auckland and Waikato crash data for the five years from 1995 shows that more than half of road casualties were aged 20 to 39, and that the summer months were the most dangerous.

The LTSA's breakdown of the ages of last year's road victims shows by far the biggest group was aged 25 to 39 years.

The death toll was made up of 41 youngsters under 14, 57 teenagers aged 15 to 19, 53 people aged 20 to 24, 127 in the 25 to 39 bracket, 96 aged 40 to 59 and 84 over 60. The age of four of the victims was unknown.

The most dangerous time to drive was between 5 pm and 7 pm on any Saturday in January - apart from in Northland, where more people died on Sundays.

Environment Waikato councillor Morris McFall says the stress of Christmas and getting to holiday spots are likely causes of the deadly summer peak - one reason the new campaign was launched in December.

Police involved in the campaign say that many motorists do not know that some of our highways are not designed for driving at 100 km/h.

National traffic safety manager Superintendent Steve Fitzgerald says two ways of stopping some people getting frustrated and driving stupidly are for slow trucks to pull over and for car drivers to avoid tailgating.

But the chances are that this summer Mr and Ms Wheeler will be just as goofy - and lethal - as ever before.

Are you in the dying race?


Part of this summer's road safety campaign is this Speeding Challenge questionnaire, printed on cards distributed in cafes by the Land Transport Safety Authority:

Test your chances of getting a speeding ticket or losing control by going too fast.

Score your answers with:


* Often - 2 points

* Sometimes - 1 point

* Never - 0 points


Do you:

1. Drive more than 110 km/h on the open road or motorway?

2. Drive faster when you are alone?

3. Talk to your mates about how quickly you got from A to B?

4. Buy cars designed for high speed?

Total scores:

Less than 1: Well done, no speeding tickets for you, thanks for making the roads safer.

1-4: Chances of getting a speeding ticket just got bigger.

There are more highway patrols and the police will issue a ticket if you do over 110 km/h in a 100 km/h zone.

4-6: Chances are you already have one or more speeding tickets.

Slow down, drive to the conditions and save money and lives.

6-8: You think you're a pretty smart driver, you have the vehicle and the skills to handle speed. You think you drive safely but if you don't kill your speed it will kill you or someone else. You are part of the dying race.


Herald Online feature: Cutting the road toll

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