Moments of truth on New Zealand roads [VIDEO]

Police are working hard over summer to ensure more Kiwis make it home safely, but too often police see crashes that stem from poor driver decisions.

To get the message out to the public this summer, we interviewed police officers about crashes that had affected them personally. We also asked "what could have been done to avoid these crashes?"

Constable Rachel Kapa describes her "stinkest birthday ever". As a local cop in a small town she recalls spending her birthday with the parents of a girl who died when her vehicle collided with a logging truck:

Constable Helen Lemay provides a response to a common question about road safety:

A young university student took her eyes off the road for just a moment.... Inspector Melanie Aitken tells the tragic story:

Constable Stu Rota, a dog handler in Wellington, talks about the tolerance for speeding over summer.

In this video, Constable Jennifer Nelley talks about a man who ignored a suggestion from his 10-year-old son to pull over for a rest. If he had only listened, his son might still have a father.

We'll update this section of the site throughout December and January with similarly powerful reminders to stay safe on the roads this summer.