Southern District Police are reminding motorists to continue to take care on the roads as the Burt Munro Challenge heads to town this week.
Police are expecting a high influx of motorcyclists and vehicles on the roads in the Southland, Central Otago and Otago areas before, during and after the Burt Munro Motor Cycle Rally which starts on Thursday 26 November and goes through to Sunday 29 November.
Historically, the event attracts a number of motorcycle enthusiasts from all over New Zealand, including some visitors from abroad, mainly from Australia.
Because of the expected increase in road users, police are reminding visitors and members of the public that they need to take extra care on our roads during this period.
"We want every journey for all road users to be a safe one,” says Acting Senior Sergeant Deon McNaught, Southland Road Policing Manager. “But motorists need to remember that watching your speed is vital. If you crash – regardless of the cause or who is at fault – speed is often the single factor that most affects the outcome.”
“It’s only a few kilometres per hour that can be the difference between avoiding a collision completely or being involved in a crash that can have a tragic outcome.”
“As we all know, motorcyclists on the road are extremely vulnerable and we need to take extra care on our roads due to the increase of riders. But this also goes for riders as well; drive with your motorcycle headlight on, be safe, be seen, be aware of your surroundings and other road users, watch your speed and drive to the conditions.”
Police will also be highly visible on our roads during this period but they aren’t the only ones who play a part on our roads. We need to remember that the safety of our roads is the responsibility of every one of us who use it.
“We encourage all drivers to consider how their driving behaviour affects the safety of themselves, their passengers, and other road users,” says Mr McNaught.
“Police staff will be conducting compulsory breath test checkpoints and every driver can be expected to be breath tested anywhere, anytime. Police want everyone to enjoy their time here, but please make sure you do so safely.”
Police are also reminding those travelling down to the South to look after their property and keep items and motorcycles secure, locked and away from opportunistic thieves.
Key things the public can do to help prevention anything happening to their belongings is to lock all valuable items away or place them out of sight, and report any suspicious behaviour to police.
Opportunity is a major driver in criminal offending, however if we take that opportunity away by removing items out of sight, storing them in a secure, well lit area or by locking them away, we can reduce the likelihood you will become a victim of crime.
In the end, it’s about making sure that you, your friends, your family, and those around you have a great time, but that you also have a safe time as well.
ENDS
Released by Acting Senior Sergeant Deon McNaught, Acting Southland Road Policing Manager