If you’re driving, Police are reminding you to “check your speed”, as from Tuesday 1 December, the speed threshold reduces to 4km/hr through until the end of January.
Similar to the previous two summer holiday periods, Police will be enforcing the reduced 4km/h speed threshold from 1 December 2015 to 31 January 2016.
This will be backed by a highly visible presence on the nation's roads as part of a targeted road safety campaign, which will also feature a strong focus on impaired driving and other high risk behaviour. This means that every driver stopped can expect to be breath tested.
“Police want all families to have a great summer that is memorable for the good times, not a summer ruined by the grief of losing a family member to a fatal crash,” says Superintendent Steve Greally, National Manager of Road Policing.
“It’s the loved ones that are left behind that have to carry the pain and devastation a fatal crash causes.”
With 1 December also marking the one year anniversary of legislation lowering the adult alcohol limit, police are encouraged that many drivers seem to be getting the message and are deciding not to drive after drinking.
"While it is still relatively early days, what's pleasing is that as at the end of October 2015, we have seen almost two and a half thousand fewer drivers caught in the over 400mcg/80mg bracket since the new legislation came in, compared with the same period the previous year.
"That's a really positive sign and we encourage all motorists to keep that up.”
Mr Greally says Police would be delighted to not issue another infringement throughout the summer, or to have to knock on the door of loved ones to deliver tragic news.
"Every police officer dreads having to knock on the door of someone's family to tell them their son, daughter, parent or another loved family member has been needlessly killed in a crash.
"We'd also be delighted to never have to issue another infringement, because aside from the fact it actually costs us money to issue notices, it would show that everyone was driving safely and responsibly, and the trauma on our roads would reduce overnight."
The previous two summers marked the two lowest ever recorded number of deaths for a December/January period since records began. From 1 December 2014 to 31 January 2015 there were 50 road deaths, compared to 42 road deaths the previous year. By comparison, the worst December-January road toll recorded in the last 25 years was 124 deaths in 1990.
“The challenge to all of us on the roads this summer is see an even better result, but we all need to play our part to make that happens,” Mr Greally says.
The road safety campaign is backed strongly by Safer Journeys partners ACC, NZ Transport Agency and the Ministry of Transport.
ENDS
Media contact: Ross Henderson, PNHQ Public Affairs, ph 021 192 2919.
Comparison of alcohol driving offences in 400mcg/80mg and above bracket
· 1 Dec 2013 – 31 October 2014 = 17,106 offences
· 1 Dec 2014 – 31 October 2015 = 14,681 offences
· Difference: 2,425 (-14.2%).
*Note that comparable November data for 2015 is not yet available so has been omitted. This data is also drawn froma dynamic operational database so maybe subject to change as new information is added or recoded.
Offences recorded under the new lowered adult alcohol limit
· December 2014 = 806
· January 2015 = 774
· February 2015 = 644
· March 2015 = 695
· April 2015 = 654
· May 2015 = 710
· June 2015 = 643
· July 2015 = 615
· August 2015 = 770
· September 2015 = 615
· TOTAL = 6,926