Another Nasty One: Follow-up

[MacD]

The police are looking for eye-witnesses to the car v motorcycle accident that happened outside Auckland University last week. Anybody here able to help?

From an email:

Police request for eye witnesses re fatal accident in Symonds Street on Thursday 25 March 2004.

Police are seeking witnesses who saw the crash on Symonds Street outside Thomas Building at about 11.00am on Thursday 25 March between a car and motor cycle.

Information is only sought from persons who may have seen the crash, AS IT HAPPENED, (not persons who saw the crash after impact.).

Would any such person / witness please contact brian.hensley@police.govt.nz, as soon as possible.

[MacD]

Charges have been laid against the driver of the car.

NZ Herald Article

Chinese student Bo Cong, 21, yesterday appeared in the Auckland District Court on a charge of careless driving causing the death of motorcyclist James Stampa on Symonds St, Auckland City, on March 25.

He was also "driving while forbidden", I presume that means he'd already lost his licence, or didn't have one to start with...

[SPman]

Charges have been laid against the driver of the car.

NZ Herald Article

He was also "driving while forbidden", I presume that means he'd already lost his licence, or didn't have one to start with...

Fuck, not another one!
Its a worry!

[MikeL]

So is it time to admit that there is a problem, rather than just accusing people of racism?

[KATWYN]

So is it time to admit that there is a problem, rather than just accusing people of racism?

Yes a definate problem, but rather than focusing on certain ethnic groups
and the subject of racisim -
If it seems like it is certain groups that are in and causing all the accidents and near misses,...maybe it is because we are now a minority group (ie) euro kiwi/maori etc and that asians etc make up the larger
population here in Auckland ....so naturally it will seem like asians cause
all the accidents cos there are so many more of them in Auckland. It seems the minority groups are better drivers cos they have less accidents-..... but there would be less of them being a minority...obviously

I would be interested in seeing who makes up the population here in
Auckland actually, has anyone got a percentage breakdown??

[James Deuce]

Yes a definate problem, but rather than focusing on certain ethnic groups
and the subject of racisim -
If it seems like it is certain groups that are in and causing all the accidents and near misses,...maybe it is because we are now a minority group (ie) euro kiwi/maori etc and that asians etc make up the larger
population here in Auckland ....so naturally it will seem like asians cause
all the accidents cos there are so many more of them in Auckland. It seems the minority groups are better drivers cos they have less accidents-..... but there may also be less of them.

I would be interested in seeing who makes up the population here in
Auckland actually, has anyone got a percentage breakdown??

You'd be lucky to get an accurate race based breakdown of Auckland's population as many Asians are transient, and also anglicise their names. If they haven't filled in a census form yet (given that they have residency) they don't show up without involving many more agencies than Statistics NZ

[KATWYN]

You'd be lucky to get an accurate race based breakdown of Auckland's population as many Asians are transient, and also anglicise their names. If they haven't filled in a census form yet (given that they have residency) they don't show up without involving many more agencies than Statistics NZ

Oh ok. It was just a thought. Have to admit though sometimes I feel
like i'm not in NZ in some places I go in Auckland. (and i'm not saying it
in a bad way, just general observation)

[jrandom]

I would be interested in seeing who makes up the population here in Auckland actually, has anyone got a percentage breakdown??

Right... from the projections at www.statistics.govt.nz:

"All regions are projected to have greater ethnic diversity in the future. The European share in Auckland Region is projected to decline from 67 percent in 2001 to 54 percent by 2016. In contrast, the Asian share in Auckland is projected to increase from 14 percent to 25 percent over the same time."

So one can infer a current Auckland region population of about 65% white, 16% Asian. If accident fault rates in the region match those numbers, then there is no basis for claims about race-related driving. Unfortunately, we don't have access to such potentially non-PC data summaries so we can only work by sampling anecdotal evidence.

Draw your own conclusions, guys.

[spudchucka]

He was also "driving while forbidden", I presume that means he'd already lost his licence, or didn't have one to start with...

This means he has previously been found driving without a drivers licence and he has been issued a Traffic Offence Notice forbidding him to drive until such time as he obtains a current appropriate drivers licence.

Consequences are the driver will be arrested and charged with driving while forbidden (max penalty $10,000) and the car is impounded for 28 days.

[k14]

So what will happen this time?? He will "donate" $10,000 to auckland uni and then get disqualified from driving for 6 months!!!

[jrandom]

"Careless driving causing death"?

Oooh, I know. How about we call doing something dumb that kills someone 'manslaughter', and killing someone on purpose 'murder'.

Then we could have a lesser but prohibitive sentence for the one, and a sentence of lifelong imprisonment (to appease the wibbling tree-huggers who don't like the state taking lives in the name of justice) for the other.

No. Too easy.

[MD]

He was also "driving while forbidden", I presume that means he'd already lost his licence, or didn't have one to start with...

That makes two News reports this week of an Asian driver killing someone while forbidden to drive. See today's DomPost about an overstayer Asian student who killed a woman in Mt Roskill in Easter, after having received 3 fines for driving without a licence.
Now we have another road hazard to keep an eye out for besides Road Revenue Officers, gravel, oil spills , Kids , dogs, cows. Now we have to check what type of person is driving that car close beside you.

[750Y]

very sad. dangerous driving is everywhere, be safe, be seen, and don't just 'look' but 'search' the road & surroundings like your life depended on it. cos it does.

[Lou Girardin]

Apart from actual accident figures, think about the close calls you have. Who was driving?
Personally speaking, they seem to be mostly Asiatic. Greater than 60%
But the cream of the crop this week was the Stagecoach driver that jumped the red at the Khyber Pass on-ramp, 5 secs after it changed. Lucky that I was tired and slow off the green.
Lou

[James Deuce]

Right... from the projections at www.statistics.govt.nz:

"All regions are projected to have greater ethnic diversity in the future. The European share in Auckland Region is projected to decline from 67 percent in 2001 to 54 percent by 2016. In contrast, the Asian share in Auckland is projected to increase from 14 percent to 25 percent over the same time."

So one can infer a current Auckland region population of about 65% white, 16% Asian. If accident fault rates in the region match those numbers, then there is no basis for claims about race-related driving. Unfortunately, we don't have access to such potentially non-PC data summaries so we can only work by sampling anecdotal evidence.

Draw your own conclusions, guys.

That breakdown is a projection and doesn't include students, who seem to be causing more than their fair share of incidents.