Drug Free Sport and NZFWDA

[Tony Burgess]

I attended a meeting with a number of members in Napier yesterday afternoon regarding SPARC, and the proposed Drug Free policy. I wish to publicly clear up a few misconceptions that were rased at that meeting. Firstly nether my wife nor any member of by immediate or extended family work for SPARC, Drug Free Sport NZ or any of their branches or any organizing who receives funding from SPARC. I have no idea who the person at the North West Trial in SPARC T Shirt was, but it was not my wife or any member of my family. No one from my family attended that event as we were attending another event 80 Km away promoting our family business
I also wish to make it clear this is not a personnel issue, as some people seem to think. It is an issue that was active before I was a member of the national executive, and I am simply the national executive member who is currently responsible for this project.
It was stated during that meeting that it is not illegal to drive drunk on private property. This is not correct. Land Transport Act 1998 section 11 States:-

“11 Drivers not to exceed specified alcohol limits
A person may not drive or attempt to drive a motor vehicle while—
(a) the proportion of alcohol in the person's breath, as ascertained by an evidential breath test subsequently undergone by the person under section 69, exceeds 400 micrograms of alcohol per litre of breath; or
(b) the proportion of alcohol in the person's blood, as ascertained from an analysis of a blood specimen subsequently taken from the person under section 72 or section 73, exceeds 80 milligrams of alcohol per 100 millilitres of blood; or
(c) if the person is younger than 20,—
(i) the proportion of alcohol in the person's breath, as ascertained by an evidential breath test subsequently undergone by the person under section 69, exceeds 150 micrograms of alcohol per litre of breath; or
(ii) the proportion of alcohol in the person's blood, as ascertained from an analysis of a blood specimen subsequently taken from the person under section 72 or section 73, exceeds 30 milligrams of alcohol per 100 millilitres of blood.”
No where is there any mention of a road. Even if there was mention of a road, the definition of a road under the same act is
“road includes—….
(d) a place to which the public have access, whether as of right or not; “
It is very clear that anywhere we drive is a road for the purpose of this act, and that we are driving motor vehicles. I have again checked this with a police Office with 25 years experience in Traffic policing and he is very clear that this section applies on private property. I am personally aware of a case of a person who was charged with and convicted of EBA while driving in a private car park.
Drink driving rules apply to everyone, including 4wd vehicles on private land.
Tony Burgess
Northern Zone President,
New Zealand Four Wheel Drive Association.
Ph 0274792636 or 09 2980194
Fax 09 2980134
Email nthzpresident@nzfwda.org.nz