With Labour Day and the first long weekend break in months, Southern Police and the Transport Agency are reminding Otago and Southland drivers to plan their travel over the coming weekend to ensure safe journeys on busy roads.
Labour Day Weekend officially starts at 4pm on Friday 25 October and ends at 6am on Tuesday 29 October.
Extra police have been rostered on so drivers can expect a high level of visibility of Police staff on the roads.
Police will be out in force as traffic volumes are expected to be higher than normal, says Acting Southern District Road Policing Manager, Senior Sergeant Steve Larking.
Police will be focusing on excessive speed, drinking and driving, and also checking that everyone travelling in a vehicle is wearing their safety belt correctly.
There will be a reduced speed tolerance over the weekend. A number of speed cameras will be deployed on the highway network and anyone travelling 4km or more over the permanent posted speed limit will be liable for an infringement notice.
"In addition, everyone stopped will be breath tested and we'll also be running a number of checkpoints at critical spots around Southland and Otago," Senior Sergeant Larking says.
Police will be focusing on excessive speed, drinking and driving, and also checking that everyone travelling in a vehicle is wearing their safety belt correctly.
Police also remind people to drive to the conditions - particularly if the weather is not great. "If you hit a bad patch of driving rain or poor visibility then do slow down and give space to other drivers - be considerate," Senior Sergeant Larking says.
“State highways especially into Central Otago will be carrying more traffic than on a normal weekend – the extra volumes can make driving more stressful and risky,” says the Transport Agency’s Regional Director, Jim Harland.
Over the past five years, there have been two fatalities and 19 people injured in Labour Weekend crashes on Southland and Otago roads.
“The main contributing factors in these crashes were poor handling, excessive speed and drink-driving - factors that can all be avoided,” Mr Harland says.
Southern Police and the Transport Agency ask drivers to plan ahead to help make their holiday travel safer and be patient:
· Make sure your warrant and registration up to date.
· Check your tyres particularly on boats, trailers or caravans before heading away.
· Avoid the worst peak traffic periods – Friday afternoon when holidaymakers are sharing the highway with workers heading home
· Do not drink and drive
· Maintain safe following distances and be patient
· Be aware of the weather - if the weather conditions are bad, drive to the conditions.
· Do not allow distractions such as eating, drinking and passenger conversations to interfere with the primary task of driving.
Across NZ during Labour weekend 2012 there were three fatal crashes resulting in six people being killed. Seventeen people were seriously injured and there were 64 minor injury crashes. The total social cost for these crashes was approximately $37 million.
ENDS