Editorial: Names must remain

What is wrong with our society?

Has our nation crumbled to the extent we now have drink-drivers smashing into three moving cars and then allegedly hitting a pedestrian all by 11.30am? To make matters worse the driver's breath alcohol level was reportedly more than four times the limit and was the highest Rotorua Police Sergeant Chris McLeod had seen in his 36 years of policing.

A woman has been charged with driving with excess breath alcohol causing injury and will appear in the Rotorua District Court on May 16.

On Saturday it is alleged the woman was driving through the Kuirau St roundabout alongside the Saturday Morning Rotary North Market at Kuirau Park when she was in a collision with three moving cars then allegedly hit a female pedestrian on the footpath, causing serious injuries.

As many Rotorua residents would know, we have a lot of children in and around this area at that time of day and can only be grateful no one else was hurt.

What made this incident worse was it wasn't the only occasion where police caught a driver over the limit.

In fact an hour later a 53-year-old man was pulled over on Ngongotaha Rd during a routine police checkpoint and blew more than twice the legal limit.

It appears the message is still not getting through to some people. Police say they are concerned there are a number of instances of drink-driving at all times of the day.

This only lends more credence to the argument to keep the naming of drink drivers in the newspaper. Too much time and effort, by the police, is having to be put into trying to stop these people from breaking the law and it is all of us who are having to pay through our taxes, as well as those innocent bystanders caught up in these types of incidents such as Kuirau Park.