Pubdate: Thu, 02 Nov 2000 Source: Dominion, The (New Zealand) Copyright: 2000 The Dominion Contact: P O Box 1297, Wellington, New Zealand Fax: +64 4 474-0350 Website: http://www.inl.co.nz/wnl/dominion/index.html Author: Martin Kay CANNABIS LINK TO FATAL ROAD CRASHES SHOWN More than a third of drink-drivers killed in road accidents have traces of cannabis in their blood, according to research issued yesterday. Statistics compiled by road safety researchers John and Margaret Bailey show that 92 of the 266 drink-drivers killed between 1994 and 1996 had used cannabis within a few days of their deaths. The research has confirmed a long-suspected link between cannabis use and repeat drink-driving and exposed a disturbing level of recidivism among people with one or more drink-drive convictions. Four in 10 of the drivers killed had at least one previous drink-drive conviction, while 20 per cent had two or more. Of those with one or more convictions, 55 per cent had cannabis in their blood. Sixty-one per cent of those who had two or more convictions had cannabis in their blood. People with two or more drink-drive convictions also had a high rate of previous offending for dishonesty, violence and other driving offences. More than half had driven while disqualified and been caught speeding, nearly 40 percent had been convicted of careless driving and a third had convictions for dangerous driving. Dr John Bailey said the statistics highlighted the need for tougher penalties and improved rehabilitation programmes for "hard core" recidivist drink-drivers. "Either we need stiffer penalties or we need some other way of controlling these recidivist offenders," he said. "Most of these people have got an alcohol problem and many of them have a cannabis problem as well and in many cases people who have those problems probably need medical help as much as punishment." The Baileys' research also highlights a high rate of repeat offending among a hard core who have two or more convictions for drink-driving plus two for driving while disqualified. More than a third of people in this category convicted of drink-driving for the second or subsequent time between October 1995 and September 1996 had reoffended within three years. Dr Bailey said the figures highlighted the problem of repeat drink-drivers and a failure to deal with them. A spokeswoman for Transport Minister Mark Gosche said he was discussing an overhaul of sentences for repeat drink-drivers with Justice Minister Phil Goff, and was not prepared to comment further till that work was completed. - --- MAP posted-by: Josh Sutcliffe