Comments on: One law for all dangerous drivers http://blog.greens.org.nz/2007/09/24/one-law-for-all-dangerous-drivers/ hopping along the corridors of power Fri, 21 Nov 2008 16:13:39 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.3.3 By: Kevyn http://blog.greens.org.nz/2007/09/24/one-law-for-all-dangerous-drivers/#comment-31632 Kevyn Tue, 25 Sep 2007 15:26:22 +0000 http://blog.greens.org.nz/2007/09/24/one-law-for-all-dangerous-drivers/#comment-31632 katie, the only objectionable part of your post is the implicit assumption that drivers are the only road users who need to improve their behaviour. What about Telecom's nasty habit of sticking dead trees in the road instead of at the property boudary where the law says they're suposed to be. Oh.. and cyclists who think they own the road and kamikaze pedestrians. If they could be fined $400 for not producing photo ID the police might actually be able to enforce the cyclist and pedestrian road rules. As it is, a false name and address is the usual outcome when the police ticket cyclists and pedestrians. No wonder they focus on drivers. katie, the only objectionable part of your post is the implicit assumption that drivers are the only road users who need to improve their behaviour. What about Telecom’s nasty habit of sticking dead trees in the road instead of at the property boudary where the law says they’re suposed to be.
Oh.. and cyclists who think they own the road and kamikaze pedestrians. If they could be fined $400 for not producing photo ID the police might actually be able to enforce the cyclist and pedestrian road rules. As it is, a false name and address is the usual outcome when the police ticket cyclists and pedestrians. No wonder they focus on drivers.

]]> By: Porcupine http://blog.greens.org.nz/2007/09/24/one-law-for-all-dangerous-drivers/#comment-31622 Porcupine Tue, 25 Sep 2007 09:10:35 +0000 http://blog.greens.org.nz/2007/09/24/one-law-for-all-dangerous-drivers/#comment-31622 Of course andrew - you can always tell an exploitataive capatalist child molester because they are white anglo saxon middle aged overweight balding males. where have you been? Of course andrew - you can always tell an exploitataive capatalist child molester because they are white anglo saxon middle aged overweight balding males. where have you been?

]]> By: peterquixote http://blog.greens.org.nz/2007/09/24/one-law-for-all-dangerous-drivers/#comment-31617 peterquixote Tue, 25 Sep 2007 07:51:08 +0000 http://blog.greens.org.nz/2007/09/24/one-law-for-all-dangerous-drivers/#comment-31617 fwog yous got to pull youself together, people do have things in thweir system, some them people have chromasomes in their system, send them to jail fwog, fwog yous got to pull youself together,
people do have things in thweir system,
some them people have chromasomes in their system,
send them to jail fwog,

]]> By: andrew http://blog.greens.org.nz/2007/09/24/one-law-for-all-dangerous-drivers/#comment-31616 andrew Tue, 25 Sep 2007 07:41:07 +0000 http://blog.greens.org.nz/2007/09/24/one-law-for-all-dangerous-drivers/#comment-31616 "red-blooded NZ males (the kind with high blood pressure…) " is that what they teach you in feminist school? “red-blooded NZ males (the kind with high blood pressure…) ”

is that what they teach you in feminist school?

]]> By: Porcupine http://blog.greens.org.nz/2007/09/24/one-law-for-all-dangerous-drivers/#comment-31600 Porcupine Tue, 25 Sep 2007 01:06:13 +0000 http://blog.greens.org.nz/2007/09/24/one-law-for-all-dangerous-drivers/#comment-31600 Oh yes thanks I for reminding me that the medical professsion is the root of all evil - I had forgotten. Although you forgot the car industry - for selling the nasty man who might one day end up on heart medication a car. How about this legislation instead: each time there is an accident on our roads we the whole country must have a group hug and say its all our fault. Oh yes thanks I for reminding me that the medical professsion is the root of all evil - I had forgotten.

Although you forgot the car industry - for selling the nasty man who might one day end up on heart medication a car.

How about this legislation instead: each time there is an accident on our roads we the whole country must have a group hug and say its all our fault.

]]> By: katie http://blog.greens.org.nz/2007/09/24/one-law-for-all-dangerous-drivers/#comment-31597 katie Mon, 24 Sep 2007 23:44:16 +0000 http://blog.greens.org.nz/2007/09/24/one-law-for-all-dangerous-drivers/#comment-31597 The major reason so many on medication cause accidents is the tacit agreement amongst the medical industry that if they told their (predominantly male) patients they would have to give up driving while on their heart medication, there would be no acceptance of the drug prescribed, since red-blooded NZ males (the kind with high blood pressure...) would not submit to giving up their wheels. Hell, they're already suffering impotence from their blood pressure problems. Can't take their licence away as well. There are other categories of drugs that cause an inability to focus well enough to perform driving acurately, but since many of these medications are more predominantly prescribed to women, who don't see car-driving as an identity issue, the patient acts more responsibly about choosing a safer behaviour option. The sooner we make all adults responsible for the consequences of their driving behaviour (that includes the prescribing doctors as well as their medicated patients!), the greater the likelihood that drug-related deaths on highways will reduce. Of course, there will always be that minority who regards vehicular suicide as an option to which they have a right to exercise, no matter who else it inconveniences/maims/kills. Ok, I'm done. Flame away! ;-) The major reason so many on medication cause accidents is the tacit agreement amongst the medical industry that if they told their (predominantly male) patients they would have to give up driving while on their heart medication, there would be no acceptance of the drug prescribed, since red-blooded NZ males (the kind with high blood pressure…) would not submit to giving up their wheels.

Hell, they’re already suffering impotence from their blood pressure problems.
Can’t take their licence away as well.

There are other categories of drugs that cause an inability to focus well enough to perform driving acurately, but since many of these medications are more predominantly prescribed to women, who don’t see car-driving as an identity issue, the patient acts more responsibly about choosing a safer behaviour option.

The sooner we make all adults responsible for the consequences of their driving behaviour (that includes the prescribing doctors as well as their medicated patients!), the greater the likelihood that drug-related deaths on highways will reduce.
Of course, there will always be that minority who regards vehicular suicide as an option to which they have a right to exercise, no matter who else it inconveniences/maims/kills.

Ok, I’m done. Flame away! ;-)

]]> By: ZenTiger http://blog.greens.org.nz/2007/09/24/one-law-for-all-dangerous-drivers/#comment-31596 ZenTiger Mon, 24 Sep 2007 21:34:29 +0000 http://blog.greens.org.nz/2007/09/24/one-law-for-all-dangerous-drivers/#comment-31596 Could you guys seek to add a provision that if a dead body is found in the boot, during a stop for a breath test, the evidence cannot be used against them? Just to keep things clear. Could you guys seek to add a provision that if a dead body is found in the boot, during a stop for a breath test, the evidence cannot be used against them? Just to keep things clear.

]]> By: Kevyn http://blog.greens.org.nz/2007/09/24/one-law-for-all-dangerous-drivers/#comment-31590 Kevyn Mon, 24 Sep 2007 14:22:59 +0000 http://blog.greens.org.nz/2007/09/24/one-law-for-all-dangerous-drivers/#comment-31590 Meyt, On what basis do you conclude that "Clearly prescription drugs are implicated in accidents and driver deaths."? The study you mention found that just under 10% of dead drivers had prescription drugs in their system. There is no mention of the percentage of live drivers who have prescription drugs in their system therefore no conclusion can be drawn as to whether precription drugs elevate or depress risk levels. Instead of making new laws why not get the existing ones enforced, for instance... 7(2)A person may not drive a motor vehicle …, or cause a motor vehicle to be driven …, at a speed or in a manner which, having regard to all the circumstances, is or might be dangerous to the public or to a person. That has been on the books since 1906 and seems to cover the effects of fatigue, hay-fever, the flu, cannabis, eye-drops, etc. But then again, common-sense and the legal fraternity seem to be mutually exclusive, particularly when it comes to road safety. Meyt, On what basis do you conclude that “Clearly prescription drugs are implicated in accidents and driver deaths.”? The study you mention found that just under 10% of dead drivers had prescription drugs in their system. There is no mention of the percentage of live drivers who have prescription drugs in their system therefore no conclusion can be drawn as to whether precription drugs elevate or depress risk levels.

Instead of making new laws why not get the existing ones enforced, for instance…

7(2)A person may not drive a motor vehicle …, or cause a motor vehicle to be driven …, at a speed or in a manner which, having regard to all the circumstances, is or might be dangerous to the public or to a person.

That has been on the books since 1906 and seems to cover the effects of fatigue, hay-fever, the flu, cannabis, eye-drops, etc. But then again, common-sense and the legal fraternity seem to be mutually exclusive, particularly when it comes to road safety.

]]> By: Kevyn http://blog.greens.org.nz/2007/09/24/one-law-for-all-dangerous-drivers/#comment-31589 Kevyn Mon, 24 Sep 2007 13:53:42 +0000 http://blog.greens.org.nz/2007/09/24/one-law-for-all-dangerous-drivers/#comment-31589 phil, there is a good reason to ..totally ignores the results of that research in aussie.. "There have been two recent Australian studies that have analysed the relationship between THC (tetrahydrocannabinol - the psychoactive component of cannabis) measured in the blood and crash culpability. These two studies produced contradictory results. In summary, the risk of crash involvement associated with driving under the influence of cannabis remains to be determined." http://casr.adelaide.edu.au/reports/CASR010.pdf If you've got time you can find the abstracts of most cannabis/driver safety research here http://ntlsearch.bts.gov/tris/searchinput.do phil, there is a good reason to ..totally ignores the results of that research in aussie..

“There have been two recent Australian studies that have analysed the relationship between THC (tetrahydrocannabinol - the psychoactive
component of cannabis) measured in the blood and crash culpability. These two studies produced contradictory results. In summary, the risk of crash involvement associated with driving under the influence of cannabis remains to be determined.”
http://casr.adelaide.edu.au/reports/CASR010.pdf

If you’ve got time you can find the abstracts of most cannabis/driver safety research here
http://ntlsearch.bts.gov/tris/searchinput.do

]]> By: boot http://blog.greens.org.nz/2007/09/24/one-law-for-all-dangerous-drivers/#comment-31584 boot Mon, 24 Sep 2007 08:43:51 +0000 http://blog.greens.org.nz/2007/09/24/one-law-for-all-dangerous-drivers/#comment-31584 “One police study of 245 dead drivers found that 129 had drugs in their system. Of those, 80 had DRUGS AND ALCOHOL in their systems, 29 had cannabis only and 20 had prescription drugs.� Slightly off the main point of discussion here, but I'm fed up with the media constantly reporting the old line "DRUGS AND ALCOHOL" - the implication being that alcohol isn't a drug.... We all know it is and, when in the wrong hands, a very dangerous one at that, continuing to cause more social & economic carnage than any other drug, legal or illegal, used in NZ, actually make that planet earth. It's about time the media made Joe Public think a bit more about this by using alternative lines such as "illegal drugs and alcohol" or "drugs, including alcohol". “One police study of 245 dead drivers found that 129 had drugs in their system. Of those, 80 had DRUGS AND ALCOHOL in their systems, 29 had cannabis only and 20 had prescription drugs.�

Slightly off the main point of discussion here, but I’m fed up with the media constantly reporting the old line “DRUGS AND ALCOHOL” - the implication being that alcohol isn’t a drug…. We all know it is and, when in the wrong hands, a very dangerous one at that, continuing to cause more social & economic carnage than any other drug, legal or illegal, used in NZ, actually make that planet earth. It’s about time the media made Joe Public think a bit more about this by using alternative lines such as “illegal drugs and alcohol” or “drugs, including alcohol”.

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