A Tauranga police officer is behind a new initiative in the Western Bay of Plenty to try and reduce the trauma on our roads caused by speed.
At the heart of Senior Constable Darren Adams' initiative is a small, simple sticker which serves as a subliminal reminder to drivers to check their speed or risk clocking up demerit points.
“Most motorists don’t keep track of their demerit status, and often it’s only when they reach 100 demerits and face the inconvenience of having their licence suspended that realisation sets in. By encouraging drivers to avoid accumulating demerits we hope to see more people keeping their speed in check, and less lives lost on our roads,” says Senior Constable Adams.
The sticker is designed to fit within the empty space of an RPM counter or speedo; a place it will be frequently seen without causing a distraction or restricting visibility. Having a sticker is completely voluntary, it is not an enforcement tactic; rather it is purely educational.
However, higher risk drivers will be targeted in terms of sticker distribution. Police officers now have the ability through their mobile devices to check the demerit status of drivers pulled over or travelling through routine checkpoints. Those accumulating points will be encouraged to display a sticker. Stickers can also be requested by anyone else choosing to display one.
“My role is predominantly working with youth; a demographic particularly at risk of becoming a road crash victim or offender. It would be great to see young drivers getting on board the initiative and parents of young drivers also promoting use of the sticker.”
“Ideally we want people to keep their speed down purely because it is the safest way to drive. Most drivers don’t go out with the intention of killing or injuring someone, but unfortunately it can happen when drivers take their eye off the ball. There is also a minority of people who are happy to disregard the rules unless it directly impacts on their own lives. It’s important to remember that having a driver’s licence is a privilege not a right; licences are for people who are deemed responsible to make good driving decisions. We hope a frequent but subtle reminder that the privilege could be taken away will encourage greater driver responsibility.”
The trial of the stickers is currently in the Western Bay of Plenty but if deemed a success, consideration will be given to wider distribution.
Stickers are available from the Tauranga and Tauranga South Police Stations.
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