Subscribe to RSSJoyce Reveals Driving Record
Transport minister Steven Joyce today admitted he has had 2 convictions for careless driving in the late 80s.
Initially in parliament today, during the reading of the Land Transport (Road Safety and Other Matters) Amendment Bill, which raises the driving age to 16 and lowers to zero the blood alcohol limit for under 20s, he mentioned his own record hadn’t been perfect with speeding tickets and one conviction for careless driving.
He was fined for careless driving.
Later he fessed up to another:
That was reportedly for careless driving causing injury, for which he was fined and lost his licence.
That transport legislation which includes measures to improve the safety of young drivers and crack down on drink drivers has today passed unanimously through its first reading in Parliament.
Transport Minister Steven Joyce says the legislation is a major step in the government’s efforts to improve road safety and, ultimately, bring down the road toll.
“While the provisions of the Bill are wide-ranging, it has a strong focus on implementing the first actions from the 10-year Safer Journeys road safety strategy.
“These areas were chosen as priorities because they are problem areas where real gains can be made.”
The Land Transport (Road Safety and other Matters) Amendment Bill includes the following provisions, which will be law by the middle of next year:
Raising the minimum driving age from 15 to 16 Providing for the NZ Transport Agency to strengthen the restricted licence test. Allowing police to take alcohol readings for research purposes from all drivers involved in fatal or serious injury crashes who have a Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC) between .05 and .08 (50 milligrams and 80 milligrams of alcohol per 100 millilitres of blood or 250 and 400 micrograms of alcohol per litre of breath.
Lowering the youth drink drive limit for drivers under 20 years of age from BAC 0.03 (30 milligrams of alcohol per 100 millilitres of blood or 150 micrograms of alcohol per litre of breath) to BAC zero. Repeat drink drive offenders will be subject to a BAC zero limit for 3 years after they receive their licence back. Provide for infringement offences and the associated infringement penalties for the breach of the zero drink drive limits. Allowing Courts the option to require repeat or serious drink drive offenders to use alcohol interlocks, after a mandated 90-day disqualification. Interlocks must be used for at least 12 months, and can only be removed where the offender shows a violation-free period of 6 months (reducing to 3 months if an approved alcohol assessment is also completed) and offenders will be subject to a zero BAC limit for the 3 years after the removal of their interlock. Increasing penalties for dangerous driving causing death.
The Bill also includes some additional road safety actions to support Safer Journeys such as banning radar jammers and strengthening Police’s ability to investigate work time and logbook breaches by commercial transport operators.
“As well as improving road safety, this Bill will improve the efficiency of our land transport legislation by removing duplicated legislation and streamlining the Rule making processes,” says Mr Joyce.
Changes to the land transport Rules process will also allow them to be made by Order in Council like other secondary legislation (Regulations). This is quicker and less complicated than the current Rules process.
“Improving efficiency is a key goal for the government. It supports other efforts such as ensuring whenever possible new rules are introduced on either 1 April or 1 October, so that keeping track of changes is more straightforward for affected industries and the public,” says Mr Joyce.
The Bill has been referred to select committee.
