Politics Can Be Deadly

In the late 1990s, the New Zealand government rejected an increase in the minimum age of driver licensing, and then lowered the minimum purchase age for alcohol. Third party property insurance is not compulsory in New Zealand and the compulsory third party personal insurance is levied at a rate set without reference to driver age. Consequently, there are no substantial financial barriers to young people owning high performance automobiles. New Zealand also has a very high motor vehicle traffic crash death rate for 15-24 year olds. This article discusses the research evidence and politics relating to these issues. Because inexperienced drivers, alcohol and powerful cars can be a dangerous mix, the authors call for the New Zealand government to show leadership by raising the driving age, making third party property insurance compulsory and restoring the minimum alcohol purchase age to 20 years old. The injury prevention community can play an important role by undertaking policy-relevant research and widely disseminating the results, encouraging governments to consult with researchers during the policy development process, and questioning the evidence base of government policy stances.

• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/issn/13538047
• Authors:
  • Langley, J
  • Kypri, K
• Publication Date: 2006-4

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Print
• Features: References;
• Pagination: pp 69-70
• Serial:
  • Injury Prevention
  • Volume: 12
  • Issue Number: 2
  • Publisher: BMJ Publishing Group
  • ISSN: 1353-8047
  • EISSN: 1475-5785
  • Serial URL: http://injuryprevention.bmj.com/

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Age; Automobile insurance; Case studies; Driver licensing; Governments; High risk drivers; Legal drinking age; Policy making; Politics; Research; Teenage drivers
• Uncontrolled Terms: Injury prevention
• Geographic Terms: New Zealand
• Subject Areas: Highways; Policy; Research; Safety and Human Factors; I83: Accidents and the Human Factor;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01025109
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: May 31 2006 9:30AM