Yesterday around 3pm Police ran a road policing checkpoint on Heretaunga Street West, Hastings for less than an hour and the outcome was incredibly disappointing.
During this time Police issued 14 infringement notices to people not wearing seatbelts and 12 to people using mobile phones while driving.
“This is completely unacceptable driver behaviour,” says Sergeant Cam Donnison, Hawke’s Bay Road Policing.
“There were lots of children in the area as school had just finished and these motorists were so focused on their phones that they were completely unaware what was happening around them.
“We were also very alarmed at the number of children unrestrained in the back and front seat of cars.
“This included an 18-month-old child who was standing over the gear stick of one vehicle. There was an available child seat in the rear but the motorist chose not to use it.
“This sort of behaviour could result in a completely preventable tragedy occurring on our roads,” says Sergeant Cam Donnison.
Police and their road safety partners work hard to prevent death and serious injury on our roads through a range of different activities.
It is important to remember that Police and their road safety partners cannot reduce the social harm caused by crashes on their own. Road safety is everyone’s responsibility.
“We are human, so mistakes will happen on our roads. It might not be your mistake, but have you taken every possible measure available to protect yourself and those in the car with you if a mistake happens in front of you?” says Sergeant Cam Donnison.
“It takes just a few seconds to put on your seatbelts and put away your mobile phone, those simple acts could save a life.
“You can't change the behaviour of other road users, but you can make sure you take every step possible to keep safe on our roads.
“One positive of yesterday was seeing school children all wearing cycle helmets while biking and setting a good example to the adults in the community about road safety,” says Sergeant Cam Donnison.
“Everyone needs to think about their driving habits and keep ‘road safety’ at the forefront of their minds every time they hop in a vehicle. Belt up and turn that phone off.”
ENDS
Issued by Police Media Centre