Auckland's Motorway Police are urging drivers to drive to the conditions during holiday periods and to remember that everyone who uses the motorways are responsible for road safety.
Officer in Charge of Motorways, Inspector Dave Walker says, "The aim of road policing is to reduce crashes and fatalities but Police cannot do that alone. The majority of drivers have taken to heart the messages around the hazards of speed, drink driving and safety belts, but a small minority can ruin all those efforts by a lack of regard for the safety of themselves and others on the road," says Inspector Walker.
With heavy traffic and changeable weather conditions Police are asking motorists to adjust their driving to the conditions, such as increasing the following distance in wet weather.
Inspector Walker says, "During the Christmas and New Year holiday period of 2003/04 the North Shore/Waitakere/Rodney/Motorways Serious Crash Unit did not have a single call out to a fatality or serious crash and that was a pleasing outcome. That was achieved through drivers taking responsibility for their own driving and also the high visibility of Police out on the road."
Inspector Walker says, "Again this year there will be a high visibility of Police on the motorway network and rural highways to assist in the flow of traffic and so keep driver frustration to a minimum. Police will also be there to educate and deter those who put the lives of others at risk," says Inspector Walker.
Police are asking drivers to exercise care and patience, to plan their journey away from peak hours and congested areas and to take breaks when driving long distances.