I have just travelled 1800 kilometres on main highways from Auckland to Wellington and back and had no problem with the state of the roads. It is the speeding drivers with no policing that is the problem. Drivers get behind the wheel and use the road like it’s a racetrack. I drove to the speed limits and was left behind. We are a nation of speedsters with a love of cars, so no matter what the speed limits are, they will be exceeded. People should be hit hard in the pockets with speeding fines. Use the revenue for road-only police. Hefty fines and plenty of visible road police might slow them down. Gail Mazur, Remuera
More traffic police
There have been 21 road deaths over the holiday period, and there will plenty more to keep everyone involved busy. Jacinda Ardern, Andrew Coster and Greg Murphy can say all they want and spend millions on useless advertising, but that won’t fix the problem because Kiwis are not educated drivers. A lot don’t care - it’s all right Jack, we won’t get caught because there’s no police on the roads. The use of cellphones remains the biggest fear on our roads because it causes erratic driving, with drivers crossing the centre line. If caught using a phone at the wheel, there should be immediately a loss of licence for 12 months or more, with a heavy fine. We must toughen up. When I am out on the main road I set my cruise control to 105km/h and I am passed by dozens, but I do not blame the [slightly] higher speed - it’s the idiot behind the wheel who is not concentrating. There are also a lot of slow drivers who get us all impatient, and these drivers should have the book thrown at them. But where are the police? In my mind, the only way to slow down our roads deaths is to have more police present on our main roads. Gary Stewart, Foxton Beach
Widen screening
From time to time politicians commit irresponsible acts, but the Prime Minister’s decision not to require pre-flight testing of passengers from China is by far the worst ever. To expect anyone to voluntarily take tests and provide results should they be positive is naïve in the extreme. To test the wastewater from an aircraft is a waste of time and resources, as by the time the results are available, all the passengers will be dispersed around the country and the infection will be spread. The human and financial cost will be horrendous, and she is showing no concern about the suffering which will result and the deaths which will occur, to say nothing about the unreasonable and unnecessary load on our health workers. Rather than not requiring any testing, we should, as a country, be demanding pre-flight testing from all countries with major infections. And, given others are equally irresponsible, this should mean all countries, and should anyone [return] a positive test, they should be required to wear a mask for the entire flight. Put simply, she is more concerned about her fall in the polls than the physical (and mental) health of people in this country. Rod Lyons, Kumeū
Covid testing
It seems ironic that the New Zealand Government is not insisting on a record of Covid testing of travellers from China, given that many other countries around the world are doing just this. New Zealand was the country that was lauded internationally for Draconian lockdown procedures as Covid swept the world in 2020-2021. Jacinda Ardern was acknowledged as the saviour of the nation, and we were asked to be kind and put teddy bears in our windows. Is it just too hard now to put procedures in place to ensure that travellers from China produce documentary evidence of good health? It appears patently obvious that Covid is out of control in that country and that its relaxation of Covid restrictions seems to be politically motivated, based on a push back from a significant portion of Chinese society, something unheard of under its autocratic system. Perhaps our Government’s lack of response is also politically motivated, given the outcry against mandates, the unpopular ‘lottery’ system of entry and the sometimes-disastrous handling of Covid testing. After all, this is election year, and things are not looking good for the Government. So, don’t do anything, because as its record shows, to do something usually develops into a litany of unmitigated disasters. Bernard Walker, Papamoa
Open-arms welcome
“We don’t see any basis for changing policy,” says Ayesha Verrall, deciding not to impose any testing regime on Chinese [people] or anyone else to be neutral. It’s difficult to understand how blasé this government has become over the scientifically proven, more infectious and evasive new subvariants developing around the world like XBB.1.5; it has displaced other Omicron subvariants in the US. They need testing, too. China won’t share its data, but will retaliate if we impose pre-flight testing. This sounds ominously like Putin, and is just as arrogant as the threat of nukes if anyone dares to send troops. Trade will be inconveniently hindered. Clearly this has massive implications, so can we trust Aeysha made this decision based on a health basis first; a long-lost Ardern election promise? The test is, does she sound certain about data? About as convincing as zero data will allow her to be. Yes, we just wait and see what new variants finally show up in Godzone. It’s not if, but when new variants arrive; our medical and emergency services must cope. There is no plan B anymore to stop new variants entering. That is the only certainty. And Aeysha certainly loves tourists more than the 10 who die daily because of this open-arms welcome. Steve Russell, Hillcrest
Roughan’s outlook
What have you done with the real John Roughan and why did someone who looks like him write his Saturday column (Weekend Herald December 31)? His benign assessment of 2022 and predictions for 2023 were positively mellow. Could it partially be attributed to John’s chakras being aligned on a zen road trip, as suggested by the letter of the week on the opposite page? However, there may be two issues which disrupt John’s sanguine outlook for 2023. Raising interest rates may halt inflation, but painful fiscal policy also loses elections. The Labour Government may need a giant lolly scramble to win this year, and the Opposition need only sit back and keep quiet. Also, the US’ unstinting support of Ukraine may become another battle in a split Congress, with the Republican-led House gearing up to constrain Biden’s spending. The spectre of yet another endless war with no clear winner is anathema to America at the moment, and an unfortunate byproduct of the Trump years is an isolationist philosophy espoused by the more right-wing segment of the GOP. Democracy is always worth fighting and dying for, and I really hope this reconstituted John Roughan is correct, but unfortunately, I suspect he may have to find serene bliss amongst the red cones on another road trip. Mary Hearn, Glendowie
Dental problems
In response to Robert Burrow, who blames the parents for their children’s oral health problems, I say: get down from your accusatory tower. My ex-husband was brought up by a dentist father and dental nurse mother, and yet still had terrible problems with his teeth. He was adopted, and his birth mother possibly didn’t have access to good food or had bad health while pregnant. Not everyone has had the education, mentoring or money to be able to provide good nutrition for themselves and their children. The only answer I can see is that we tackle inequality, and that all New Zealanders should have the same access to healthcare and healthcare education. Bring on the Māori Health Authority – they can’t do worse than the Pākehā have done up to now. Viv Allen, Freemans Bay
Short and sweet
China’s threat of retaliation on countries requiring tests on visitors from China is not for the countries who have imposed the pre-departure tests - the US, India, EU, etc - but smaller countries sitting on the fence, to help them make their minds up. Chas Benest, Snells Beach
Caving in to the masters in Beijing? Or just dancing to the tune of a totalitarian dictatorship? Rod Matthews, Melbourne
I can’t be the only one who now cringes every time the expression ‘loved ones’ appears in print. A recent article in the Herald on work safety used the term four times. I support safe practices and family values as much as the next person, but I don’t need this constant sickly sweet reminder that I love my family, thanks. Come on, Kiwis, we are not children! John Hampson, Meadowbank
Our collective behaviour on the roads is a clear indication of our national mentality. There is a lot of room for improvement. Graham Steenson, Whakatāne
Last Friday. Waikato Expressway, 2.15pm. Northbound in the overtaking lane at 110km/h. Myself and two passengers. On the southbound lane, a Suzuki Swift coming towards us. Just before we passed each other, a tyre on the Swift disintegrated. The car swerved across the southbound lanes, turned through 180 degrees, and smashed into the median wire barrier, next to us, facing back the way it had come from. We all survived. Median barriers work. Just saying. Dr David Laidlow, Rotorua
Of all the think-big suggestions for solving Auckland’s port location without involving future generations in endless land freight expense, I have yet to see one that would blast a deep-water canal into the Manukau Harbour, either to the south or to the north of the harbour entrance, with the spoil used to create a groyne that would keep any build-up of sand away from the canal entrance. Tony Molloy, Morrinsville
Aotearoa - the land of the long rich food, where everything is shrinking, and one egg can now set you back a dollar each. Glenn Forsyth, Taupō
Scott Watson had the chance to declare his innocence and chose not to take the stand in court. He could have ‘sung like a bird’ and been cross-examined without any concerns. Rod Jones, Hatfields Beach
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The Slowdown: Fixing roads v lowering speeds - the great debate
It’s pretty clear that lowering speed limits, putting in more speed cameras and the complete focus on speed hasn’t worked. Why can’t they accept that and put stricter license requirements, ongoing driver education courses and more importantly upgrade roads for safety (witness the 110km freeways). Cars of any fuel type will be around for decades more and with new fuels if anything will be capable of higher speeds. Obviously hard for them to admit defeat or admit its only revenue gathering. Peter W.
Why aren’t we fixing the drivers? Roads don’t kill anyone. Inappropriate driver behaviour is the only thing that does that. Marcus A.
Lower speed limits means more fines which means more revenue to fix the roads. It’s as simple as that but if you think of it as a cunning increase in road tax instead. The upside is if you don’t speed you don’t have to pay the tax. Daniel P.
I observe that where speeds have been dropped, both on a local two-lane carriageway and on Napier - Taupo road, the new speed limits are largely ignored. These changes have the result of encouraging people to ignore speed limits. I feel this tension myself. There were many sections that a higher speed was quite safe. What concerns me is that in sections where a lower speed is very much appropriate, people will not be take as much notice of the signage as might have done in the past. John B.
Be good to have repeater signs when the limits are not 100 or 50. Sometimes I’ve no idea what the limit is they chop and change so much. It’s also dangerous to go too slow by mistake as it annoys people behind and you get dangerous driving. Brian S.
I am not a “road expert” but I do know lower speed limits do not fix issues of having to navigate large potholes, road tar sticking to bottom of people’s cars and the fact single carriageways roads making passing slower vehicles more difficult and cause road rage. Stefan S.
Worst road issue - Drivers; particularly the aggressive ones driving 4X4 utes. Think that are driving Humvees in Iraq. Paul S.
I thought Greg Murphy’s comments last week in Driven were particularly relevant. Poor teaching, poor learning driver education as well as poor examples of driving need to be pushed out of the way society views driving on our roads. The road toll is a societal issue. Not a roading or expenditure issue. Poor driving is a choice. It’s a consequence of not choosing to critique ones own driving, or be critiqued. Every speeding violation, traffic infringement should be a trigger for a driver capability review. Maybe a random draw of driving violations along with a threshold at which driver review is required and remedial actions if required. If we expect doctors, nurses, lab scientists, accountants, engineers to demonstrate professional competence and skill, why not driving ? Thomas M.
