It seems that drink driving is one of those problems that is universal, no matter where you go in the world you will probably find drink drivers, in some places the problem may be worse than in others.

Recently in New Zealand a woman was killed in an early morning crash which left another 3 people injured. We seldom hear of people drink driving in the early morning unless they are still on a buzz from the night before. It is not known whether the driver involved in this incident was intoxicated from the night before or began drinking early in the morning, the accident took place in Auckland around 5:30am.

The vehicle was apparently travelling quite slowly at below 50km per hour but passengers weren’t wearing seatbelts and the driver may have been intoxicated which is what is suspected to have caused the crash and resulted in a fatality.

The accident happened when the vehicle carrying 4 people collided with another vehicle before smashing into a power pole. The driver of the vehicle, a 20 year old woman died and the other occupants of the vehicle were injured. The second car’s occupant was not injured.

The occupants of the first vehicle were trapped and had to be freed from the wreckage by firefighters. The injured were taken to Auckland Hospital for treatment. The article on Fullyloaded.com.au goes on to explain,

However, speed may not have been a factor, as police told 3News it was believed the car was not travelling at more than 50 km/h.

Police will investigate whether alcohol was involved, with toxicology tests due to be taken during a post-mortem tomorrow.

Bottles of alcohol were found inside the vehicle, Senior Sergeant Matt Knowsley said.

“Whether that alcohol was actually involved in the operating of the vehicle we don’t know. We’re trying to firm it up.”

Mr Knowsley said police suspected the occupants of the crashed car were not wearing seatbelts.

A number of people witnessed the crash, who were being interviewed by police.

“It’s not a nice thing to see on a Sunday morning, or at any time, for that matter,” Mr Knowsley said.

Police were in the process of formally identifying the deceased woman and notifying her next of kin.

“The message here is, as with most accidents, they are avoidable,” Senior Sergeant Logan Christian said.

Source: http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11135642

As this incident proves, intoxicated drivers do not need to be travelling over the speed limit to get into or cause a crash. This vehicle was travelling below the speed limit when it crashed and even cars travelling at moderate speeds can be involved in fatal accidents. This is a warning to all drivers about the dangers of drink driving and a reminder to RSA staff to ensure that customers who are intoxicated are not allowed to get behind the wheel. If you notice that they are intoxicated ask them if you can assist by calling a cab or a friend for them.