Brownlee Gerry: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
Brownlee Gerry: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
[Volume:614;Page:10284] 
11.  
GERRY BROWNLEE (Deputy Leader—National) 
 to the  
Minister of Transport 
: What advice has he received about the effect of the $11 million dollar scratch card road safety campaign on the number of deaths on our roads? 
Hon PAUL SWAIN (Minister of Transport) 
: 
 I am not entirely sure how the member came to the figure of $11 million. The actual cost of the programme will be $2.6 million for development and implementation in 2003-04 and $4.2 million in 2004-05 and beyond. However I am advised that attacking the road toll requires an approach involving the three Es: engineering education and enforcement. Making the roads physically safer and giving the police the tools they need in order to target dangerous driving must be backed up by the power of education to improve behaviour and in turn to improve attitudes. If one life is saved by those measures then they have been worth taking. 
Gerry Brownlee 
: When people such as respected Australasian road safety consultant Dr Ron Christie say of education safety campaigns that most of the time they have no effect and sometimes make things worse; and when record numbers of traffic tickets are being handed out and average speeds are coming down why does he not accept that the money would have been better spent improving the dismal state of our roads? 
Hon PAUL SWAIN 
: I am not as negative and pessimistic as that particular commentator. We have spent quite a lot of money on road engineering—for example we have announced an extra $47 million over 2 years to fix the black spots. It is important to recognise that education on road safety is important and can influence behaviour and attitudes. Multichoice questions are useful. For example is it true or false that National has had six deputy leaders in 6 years? [ 
Interruption 
] 
Mr SPEAKER 
: Until that point the Minister was in order. Then he most certainly was not. 
Dave Hereora 
: What other reports has he seen in response to the education programme? 
Hon PAUL SWAIN 
: I have seen a number of reports in response to the “Up to Scratch” education campaign. George Fairbairn from the Automobile Association said it was a good way to remind people of the road rules the National Road Safety Committee welcomed the proposal and Gerry Brownlee said the scheme had some merit. I thank that member for his support. 
Larry Baldock 
: Does the Minister have any reports that indicate there is a connection between knowledge of road rules and road safety outcomes; if so could he comment on those? 
Hon PAUL SWAIN 
: Yes. There is no absolute claim that this particular intervention will bring down that number of road deaths but it is fair to say that people’s knowledge and understanding of the road rules and the Road Code do help. If as a result of this campaign people slow down when they go past stationary school buses then that may save the life of a child because children tend to run out. This is a worthwhile campaign which I am sure will be enthusiastically welcomed by New Zealanders when it goes live next year. 
Gerry Brownlee 
: Would the Minister care to indicate whether he saw all of my comments in which I said: “It may have some merit if it were to get to more drivers.”; and will he admit that in this case only those who register or warrant a car are likely to see these scratch cards and that the people who cause accidents are most unlikely to have those opportunities? 
Hon PAUL SWAIN 
: Yes I did see other comments. I thought the member advised that the campaign should be “bigger”. I think that was the word he used. He said it should go to retail outlets and that sort of thing. 
Gerry Brownlee 
: That’s right. It’s not working. 
Hon PAUL SWAIN 
: The reality is that it is targeted at people with cars and those who register for a warrant of fitness. It is important that we do not oversell and overdo it. It is a targeted campaign and it will have an effect. There is no question about that.