Editorial: Carnage just has to stop

It it time we as a nation consider how serious we are about preventing road deaths. Nationally during the Christmas/New Year holiday period, 18 people died.

In the police Central District, which includes Wanganui, there were four road fatalities, including one just north of Hunterville on Tuesday.

That leaves 18 families mourning the loss of a loved one, and for whom the Christmas/New Year holiday period will forever be associated with grief.

Most, if not all road deaths are avoidable, and I am reminded of a former high-ranking traffic policeman many years ago who used to object strongly to use of the term "accident" in reference to crashes. In his mind they were anything but, all were caused by actions or inaction that made them preventable.

That is an extreme view but raises an interesting point. While no one in their right mind sets out on the road with the intention of causing a crash that might injure or kill themselves or someone else, we must consider if we are doing enough to prevent crashes.

Police in recent years have implemented zero and low tolerance for speed and alcohol during certain periods; something it appears has proven successful in reducing the carnage. But not this year.

The reality is, the police action will only catch drivers in areas and at the time where officers are on patrol. The increased police presence and reduced tolerance helps but more often than not it is driver error that causes most crashes.

People who target the state of our roads and vehicles are missing the target too, as generally they are fine.

There are exceptions, but generally people die because of bad decisions and you just can't provide 100 per cent protection against stupidity.

Huge amounts of time and money have been spent on educating the public about drink driving, speeding, driving while tired, yet there are those who still do it. Speed and alcohol were prevalent factors in the deaths in this latest holiday period.

Perhaps it is time to look towards ideas like that put forward by Clive Matthew-Wilson. He suggests a wire median barrier on areas with high traffic volumes and where crashes are more frequent. We might also consider changes to driver licensing by requiring defensive driving refresher courses at regular intervals, testing of skill levels on a regular basis, even limiting vehicle power.

So much has been done to make our cars and roads safer and millions spent on education. The police are taking a harder line than ever before. Yet still people are being hurt and are dying on our roads.

It is possible to reduce road deaths but it comes at a cost in terms of freedom and finance. It is up to us to decide what matters more, the people whose lives are lost and those who mourn them, money and/or time.

Feedback: editor@wanganuichronicle.co.nz