Waitaki to launch a Recidivist Drink Driving programme in partnership with Judge ODriscoll, Police and the Waitaki District Council

Waitaki to launch a Recidivist Drink Driving programme in partnership with Judge O’Driscoll, Police and the Waitaki District Council.

Any one of us could be killed, or lose loved-ones to the actions of destructive killers who continue to plague our roads. Even though we know life is too precious New Zealand remains one of the few countries in the First World that continually returns drivers licences to repeat drunk or drugged drivers.

Drunk Drivers kill 50 New Zealanders each year, and they injure a further 700. In 2006 approximately 29,000 people were convicted for drunk driving, this figure is increasing at around 1000 a year.

There are drunk drivers who have lost their licences up to 20 times still driving on New Zealand’s roads today. It is highly likely they have driven drunk on a regular basis, only to be caught occasionally. These drivers consider the return of their driver’s licence as a right. There is little incentive for repeat offenders to modify their potentially lethal habits and they continue to kill, cripple, and maim other road users.

Waitaki people are sick and tired of the current system which recycles recidivist drunk drivers and have worked together to develop a project which makes the offender accountable for their actions before they are convicted and sentenced. Offenders will be asked to be at the Court House prior to the Court sitting. They will view a DVD containing footage from the Police 10/7 programme as well as locally filmed incidents. The DVD will cover the effects that a drunk driver can have on victims and their families. The mother and brother (Devon family) of a local young person recently killed as a result of a drink driving crash feature prominently in the presentation.

After viewing the DVD the drunk driver will be questioned by the sitting judge. The answers and attitudes of the drunk driver will be taken into consideration on sentencing.

This project is supported by the local Judiciary, the police, victims’ families and community.

The programme is not about penalising recidivist offenders. That is the law maker’s job. It is about having an effective, visual experience, seeing first hand the effects on parents, families and the community when they chose to get behind the wheel while drunk. It is about the recidivists offenders choosing to get help before getting their licence back instead of getting back behind the wheel and destroying the lives of others. It is about making the roads civilised and a safe places for law abiding New Zealanders. It is about stopping these people making more victims. And if they chose to continue to drive drunk these destructive killers need to be kept off our roads permanently.
The project will be launched by Judge O’Driscoll at the Oamaru Court House on Tuesday the 25th of November 2008. Representatives from New Zealand Transport Association, local lawyers, Waitaki District Council, Police, Ministry of Justice, victim support, mental health and others will be in attendance.

The trial will be run locally for a period of six months and if successful Judge O’Driscoll will recommend that the programme be run on a nation wide basis.