NZ Police, NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi and local councils in Canterbury prove we are better together in our efforts to keep everyone safe on our roads.
In collaboration with our road safety partners, a staggering 11,222 infringements were issued across the district as part of the Better Together project.
Inspector Natasha Rodley, Road Policing Manager for Canterbury says the month-long operation was a success but further enforced the fact we all share the responsibility of road safety.
“Working together reinforces what we can achieve in order to keep everyone safe on the roads. As the end of the year approaches, many will no doubt be looking to capitalise on holidays and hitting the roads, we have got to emphasise the importance of road safety for everyone.
“The proof is in the numbers but yet it’s a message we are constantly trying to get across to all our communities is slow down and wear your seatbelt.
Insp. Rodley said across the month of November there was an increase in seatbelt and speed related infringements by 22% compared to the month of October. The results were achieved with the valued assistance of the Tasman staff who came down to help with the operation.
Throughout the operation, police adopted a “spot and stop” policy, in where drivers were pulled over if detected speeding, and checks were carried out to see if they and their passengers were also wearing seatbelt.
A breakdown of seatbelt and speeding infringements showed:
• 5477 infringements were issued for speed (22% increase from October, 35% increase from September).
• 673 infringements were issued for restraints (19% increase from October, 73% increase from September).
Leading into the summer, the efforts made in November should be a reminder for all road users not just in Canterbury but across the country that you should expect to see Police anywhere and anytime this summer.
“Our teams will be out in numbers and we want you to get to your destination safely. We need all road users to share the responsibility of safety whenever and wherever you are travelling.
“It’s important for drivers and riders to be clear that if they are detected to be unrestrained, impaired by alcohol and drugs, distracted by phone use or speeding, you will be ticketed. The best way to avoid being ticketed is to avoid any of these dangerous behaviours. It’s that simple”.
Inspector Rodley wanted to thank all our partners involved throughout this project and looked forward to more road safety collaborations between Police and councils in 2024.
