Fatal crash caused by drug use, says coroner

A road crash that killed a Wellington father and son was caused by methamphetamine and cannabis use and is a "stark and tragic" warning of the dangers of driving under the influence of drugs, a coroner has found.

The problems associated with drug-affected driving in New Zealand are underestimated and must be addressed, Wellington Coroner Garry Evans said.

Mark Eugene Fergus Hall, 45, and his 17-year-old son Brendan Eugene Hall died on Wainuiomata hill road in Lower Hutt on August 30, 2003 after their car crashed into a bank.

Mr Hall was driving, his son was in the passenger seat and his wife Desiree Poutu was in the back seat. Neither Mr Hall nor Brendan Hall were wearing seat belts.
A blood sample taken from Mr Hall contained methamphetamine, cannabis and traces of alcohol. A sample from Brendan Hall contained methamphetamine and cannabis.

"It is likely on the evidence before the court that Mr Hall's loss of control of his vehicle was causally related to or contributed to by his use and the collective effects of methamphetamine and cannabis," Mr Evans found.

The little attention paid to driving under the influence of drugs in New Zealand had been limited to the use of cannabis 10 to 25 years ago and was "unlikely accurately to reflect the extent of the problem today".

Although there were current plans to amend New Zealand laws to introduce a new offence of driving whilst impaired through the use of illicit drugs, the legislation was restricted drug use and overlooked the need to reduce the risk of death and injury on the roads, he said.

"It is not the legal status of the substance that is the road safety issue but the level of impairment that it causes."

It was likely given the pervasiveness of certain drugs in New Zealand such as cannabis and the increasing methamphetamine problem that drug driving was "fairly commonplace", Mr Evans said.

He suggested that all drivers involved in road fatalities should be routinely tested for drugs or, at the very least, screened for methamphetamine and cannabis.

Police and other government departments were currently considering methods for detecting and apprehending suspected drugged drivers.

It was likely police would be trained in recognising drugged driving in future because blood and urine sampling were difficult to undertake at the roadside, Mr Evans said.

A report by the Institute of Environmental Science and Research found that methamphetamine and cannabis adversely affected the skills necessary for safe driving.

It may be dangerous to drive after using psycho-stimulants (such as methamphetamine) due to:

* over confidence in driving skills not supported by an actual improvement in driving ability;

* taking unnecessary risks;

* aggressive and dangerous driving;

* impaired ability to react appropriately; and

* the driver can suddenly fall asleep as the stimulant effects wear off.

The dangers of driving after using cannabis are due to:

* taking longer to respond to events;

* reduced ability to think clearly; and

* reduced ability to pay attention.

- NZPA