Alcohol and Drug Free Driving

Speed and alcohol

Alcohol combined with speed too fast for conditions was a contributing factor in 3 percent of all injury crashes in the district for the period 2005-2009 resulting in 10 serious injuries and 14 minor injuries. Alcohol itself has been a factor in 15 percent of all injury crashes in the district in the last five years.

Three-quarters of all crashes where driver alcohol and speed were both contributing factors occurred on local roads (73 percent) mostly in dark conditions (77 percent). Similarly, 77 percent of these were loss of control at bend type crashes. Two-fifths of at-fault drivers in these injury crashes were males under 24 years of age (42 percent).

SADD is a peer education programme that has been in New Zealand for over 20 years. The primary objective of SADD is to reduce the harm caused on our roads by drink drivers. The peer education programme is run in secondary schools by students, and can be incorporated into the school curriculum. The organisation is open to any student and SADD encourages participation from across the year levels.