Police is hitting the streets with a simple message for motorists ¨C we want you here for Christmas.
More people have been killed on our roads this year than any year since 2010, and many have been left with life-long injuries.
Over the Christmas and summer periods ¨C with their traditionally higher-than-usual road use - the joint Police-New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA) campaign will focus on the four types of behaviour that contribute most to road trauma:
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Going too fast for the conditions
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Unrestrained vehicle occupants
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Impairment from alcohol, drugs, and fatigue
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Distracted drivers - especially mobile phones
The campaign, launched today, will include a reduced speed threshold from 18 December to 8 January. During this time drivers detected by a safe speed camera exceeding a posted speed limit by more than 4kph are likely to be ticketed.
¡°Our officers will still have discretion in how they deal with incidents and how they are enforced,¡± says Assistant Commissioner for Road Policing Sandra Venables.
¡°Their focus will be on preventing harm on our roads.
¡°Police staff will be enabled to deal with offending in the most appropriate way, with well-considered prevention measures often more likely to influence positive change than a ticket.
¡°Nearly half of people who have interactions with Police have them at the roadside, so this is our best opportunity to get across the messages we want to share.
¡°We want to positively influence the mind-set and behaviours of drivers by talking about the four main contributors to road trauma.¡±
National Manager Road Policing Superintendent Steve Greally says the campaign is designed to reach people and get them thinking about being safe on the roads.
¡°Great driver behaviour complements all the work being done behind the scenes to make our roads and travel speeds safer,¡± he says.
¡°But at the end of the day, Police can¡¯t be everywhere at once, or control the actions of every driver 24/7.
¡°We can¡¯t be beside you in the car telling you to put your seatbelt on and slow down. Road safety is everyone¡¯s responsibility.
¡°I encourage staff all to take every opportunity to remind people they come in contact with to be careful and responsible on the roads. We'll tell them ¡®We want you here for Christmas¡¯.¡±
The campaign will be backed up through social media, including a series of videos - featuring our blue Father Christmas and dogs called Fitzy and Tumeke - which relay road safety messages in a light-hearted way. They will be shared by our NZTA partners.