Raise petrol prices to stop needless deaths

Petrol is one of the few things that is cheaper in New Zealand than in Europe

News Roundup: Could premature death and destruction be halved with European style petrol taxes. Here's one day's motoring headlines.

To say New Zealand is obsessed with the motor car might be a fast conclusion when scanning the daily news, but considering Richard Hammond is currently plastered on the sides of every building and Top Gear has a larger following here than any other country apart from the UK, it's not a conclusion I'd be prepared to argue with.

So here is a news roundup for motorists from just one day in the NZ press to give you a four-wheeled flavour of NZ daily life.

First up there is still discussion over the mobile phone ban while driving. Today it is suggested that hands free is not the blessing many drivers would have you believe.

It is not without irony I note that Richard Hammond's mobile phone adverts might not be appearing at the best time for stopping drivers using their cells. Joined up government anyone?

Earlier a Hamilton man was run over as part of the settlement for a domestic dispute.

"The incident appeared to have stemmed from a relationship issue, and spiralled out of control."

In two crashes reported in the Dom Post, one involved the deaths of the drivers and the other a lucky escape when a pickup truck apparently bounced off the front of a train.

Some bits of the ute were left at the scene and there were skid marks where the driver had apparently tried to stop. The train driver saw the ute coming and tooted the horn.

In Dunedin an elderly woman was nearly killed on Saturday night, and in the North Island the Desert Road will be closed to clear up a truck accident from the weekend.

At TNZL we've said before that the roads in NZ are dangerous and the statistics suggest you are twice as likely to be injured or die on NZ roads than in the UK.

Price anomaly
Yet curiously petrol is one of the few things that is cheaper in New Zealand than in Europe, due to the progressive taxes in the EU that NZ goverments have been afraid to implement.

A sharp hit in the pocket might be what is needed so the traffic toll is not displayed every day in the newspapers and felt every day in the ruined lives of New Zealanders.

Comments

[Domestic Executive]

I think it's insurance that would make the biggest difference. It's not compulsory here and it should be to make it harder for hoons to get on the road and also it would make a difference to the burdens ACC are currently facing.

[William Knight]

Ah yes. I forgot about the insurance. In pure financial terms, a doubling of the petrol price to UK levels would cost a lot more over the year, but its the one off payment of insurance that makes it so hard to take.

And, insurance would be a direct cost associated with accidents and bad driving, thus acting as a psychological deterrent.

Will

[Alan]

I don't think there is a single thing that would make a significant difference to the number of road deaths - irrespective of what the Police or Researchers or Govt would like us to think.
NZP Stats keep quoting 'speed' as a factor in a high proportion of accidents. Well no sh!t Sherlock! If two cars are not moving, it's very difficult for them to have an accident.

Lazy driving, slow over taking, and a 'point and drive' attitude all lead to dangerous driving. I agree with the insurance need, I also think it will just leave us with lots more illegal drivers.