Youth Toll Issues Twisted

Media Release - Candor Trust

Youth Toll Issues Twisted

The suggestion of ALAC and the Prime Minister that reducing the youth alcohol limit to zero would be of much value in reducing road tolls, as compared to raising NZ's driving age is an odd contribution.

It is a misdirected focus when the facts are all sized up in context, according to the Candor Trust - a group concerned with the evidence based reduction of harm from impaired driving.

The Governments report Safety Directions Working Paper 7 reveals that imposition of a zero alcohol limit on youth who've the lowest drink driving statistics would reduce total crash numbers for under 20's by approximately 1.5%.

However raising the driving age to 17 would reduce crashes experienced by the target group by 70%, even taking in to account the even larger numbers that would elect to drive unlicensed.

That seems a substantial and worthwhile reduction of harm, so Candor approves of Transport Minister Annette Kings willingness to poll Parliamentarians about whether a review of the driving age is warranted.

ALAC and Co. need to remove their beer goggles and don the drug goggles fast, then mosey on down to the University of Waikato. Within the walls of this Institution they will find Vergara's analyses of recent NZ crash data.

Within her analyses they will discover the key to our youth toll - that 50% of recently deceased young Kiwi drivers were on drugs. This sticky subject, now being grappled with by all other Nations remains NZ's dirty taboo secret.

A zero youth limit is supported by Candor, not based upon the evidence but based only on hope the evidence is wrong. Influencing our policy is the fact uninspiring projections haven't accounted for some drug users massively heightening their risk via consumption of alcohol.

"We'd not be averse to a zero BAC limit as a nod to impairment prevention, despite that it would be tokenistic".

It would make more sense to set a zero limit for cannabis among youth since that is the greater problem, if we're going to be hellbent as a Nation on licensing those who're too young. Too young to kill, and too young to die.

ENDS

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