Stay home and off the road

While Easter is coming up and a lot of people probably had plans to go out of town, those plans need to change says Acting Superintendent Gini Welch, National Manager for Road Policing. 
 
“Most years Police remind people to drive safely for the holiday weekend, this year we’re reminding people to stay home,” says Acting Superintendent Welch.
 
“During Easter, the only travel that people should be undertaking is essential travel. That means to access or deliver essential services, such as groceries or medication. It does not include driving to your bach out of town, visiting family out of town, or going out to do activities. 
 
“If you want to connect with loved ones, you need to do that on the phone, video chat, email, or old fashioned snail mail.
 
“Alert level 4 restrictions mean you stay home, and you stay within your neighbourhood to exercise. This is about saving lives. We are protecting ourselves and other people by staying home. 
 
“Let me assure you our Police will still be out on the roads over Easter. We will be ensuring people who are using the road are doing so for the appropriate and allowed reasons, and are doing so safely. 
 
“This includes driving to the conditions and within the speed limit. It also means wearing your seatbelt, putting your phone away, and being sober and alert.
 
“Since 21 March, 12 lives have been lost on the road, eight of these people died during alert level 4 restrictions. 
 
“There is a more than 75 percent decrease in traffic in most places across New Zealand, yet we are still seeing people die on the roads.
 
“Just because there are fewer cars on the road, it doesn’t mean you can treat it like a race track, or not pay full attention. 
 
“A drive to the supermarket or pharmacy is still a drive. So please respect every road user’s right to be on the road, especially more vulnerable road users like cyclists.
 
“Let’s all have a safe and quiet Easter at home.”
 
ENDS
 
Issued by Police Media Centre.