Candor Press release

DUI drivers - cause low child safety ranking

Figures suggest that New Zealand children are far more at risk from impaired drivers than they are from domestic violence. Government should be making this threat to youngsters a priority, well ahead of 'anti-smacking' legislation.

If children are shattered by journeys end, the consequence for their driver will typically be no different than if the offender had driven impaired without first lining dependent children up for the pummeling of their life.

UNICEF figures have exposed a high rate of 1.3 deaths due to child abuse for every 100,000 Kiwi children (under 15) each year.

But the comparable figures for child injury and for deaths in motor vehicle crashes, well exceeds reported statistics for 'physical abuse' of children.

'It seems a forgotten or neglected fact that crashes which are increasing at a rapid pace, remain our number one preventable cause of child mortality', says Candor Spokeswoman Rachael Ford.

They kill 4 in 100,000 children yearly. In 2005, 1147 of our 859,533 kids were injured too. Young Kiwi's have one chance in fifty of suffering major trauma on the road before their 15th birthday, it's not an impressive record being set by adults.

Reasonably serious crashes involving drunk or drugged drivers impact kids twice every day but they're the voiceless victims - accorded zero rights in our Courts, and zero protection from Child Youth and Families Service's.

'It's the sphere of activity where protection is most desperately required, in Transport - road safety, but where are the life guards for these kids?'

'Thirty one children died on the road in 2005. Surprisingly though children's main risk is not through their frequent pedestrian or cyclist status. Six children died this way in 2005'.

'As against 21 who were passengers in vehicles'. Two under 5's were injured as a result of being in the drivers seat themselves and a few more under 9 sustained injuries while driving on public roads.

'The main risk to both child pedestrians and passengers is not themselves of course, but usually those charged with their care and protection'.

Though intoxicated drivers may be responsible for around three quarters of these deaths, they are rarely charged with injuring or killing offspring'.

Much evidence of dopey driving 'Down Under' lies under our noses say Candor. Mysterious bus crashes at which drivers aren't drug tested - as they would be anywhere else in the world, for one.

And oddball crashes that mostly unfolded during daylight in 2005 included; 1017 collisions with fences or letterboxes, 675 with a pole or a post and 573 with a parked vehicle.

Far more child passengers are killed after their 5th birthday than prior, due to leaving the protective cocoon of kiddy car seats - a greater body mass means more risk exposure.

'Policy makers really should consider the fact many children killed in New Zealand are dying because their parents or caregivers drove after drinking, after recent cannabis use or both.

Sometimes harder drugs like methadone or it's frequent traveling companion methamphetamine (P) are involved - there are certainly a number of reported cases of Kiwi parents crashing on these drugs with children aboard.

A 7 year old girl was recently rescued from her parent's car by concerned motorists only moments before the methadone addict recklessly overtook and crashed.

A San Francisco study demonstrated that pedestrians are twice as at risk from drugged or drunk drivers than from people traveling at excess speed.

'We therefore advise children to keep far from the curb when walking - intoxicated drivers commonly curb climb'.

Parents should be mindful that research including Kiwi studies has now made clear that drug impaired driving is a daytime phenomenon. It can no longer be said that 'night-time that is not the right time' for driving.

The highest risk times for fatal crashes is 6am to 10 here and almost always conditions could not have been better as per M.O.T. crash facts report.

'New Zealander's need to wake up to the dangers of impaired driving - this behaviour almost entirely explains the road toll, and kids are far too often made the scape-goats for their parents addictions.

The only way Candor can see to address this, short of re-opening addiction treatment facilities is if the Judiciary could make the transporting of a child when driving drunk or stoned an aggravating factor to the crime of driving under the influence.

'If an additional sentence is threatened, and peoples irresponsibility is made apparent - it would be bound to deter people, and maybe pull in some community support or pressure to prevent any repeat performances'.

'It's sad to see offenders haul their child victims into Court and use them as sympathy earners to gain softer sentences. Candor Members firmly believe survivor child DUI victims are not being extended civil rights. Only the right to be revictimised daily'.

That is something the Government and Children's Commissioner Ms Kiro must urgently look into. Since at risk kids have effectively no more rights under our impaired driving laws here than some inanimate crate of beer in the boot.

ENDS

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