Police and the NZ Transport Agency are asking everybody travelling these school holidays to plan ahead, take regular breaks, and stay safe on our roads.
During five days over the school holidays last year, 6-10 October 2017, 15 lives were lost on New Zealand roads.
The total deaths for the whole month were 32.
“If the same thing happens this year, we are going to have 32 people die in October. Who is it going to be, you, a member of your family, a friend, or one of your colleagues?” Sandra Venables, Assistant Commissioner for Road Policing said.
Driving responsibly
The police is asking everyone to drive responsibly which normally entails
“I talk about this often and yet people are still willing to gamble with lives – either their own, their passengers’, or someone else who is sharing the road with them,” Ms Venables said.
NZ Transport Agency acting Director Safety and Environment Lisa Rossiter also agrees with this call for an alert and responsible behaviour of drivers on roads.
“Everyone thinks it won’t happen to them but our data says it will happen to someone.
“If you’re going away with your family these school holidays, ensure you are well rested before you set off, and ensure your focus is driving safely on the roads,” Ms Rossiter said.
Behaviours responsible for road-mishaps
Authorities believe that there are four main behaviours that contribute to road accidents and deaths and serious injuries on the roads.
Assistant Commissioner Venables says “For Police’s part in road safety, at the end of June our Police Commissioner set an operational road safety target for Police of a 5 per cent reduction in road deaths each and every year.”
The baseline for this is 2017 when 378 people were tragically killed on our roads.
“Achieving the target would mean saving 19 lives every year.
“To save your life and your family’s lives, you need to drive responsibly every time you get in your vehicle and always be aware of other road users,” Assistant Commissioner Venables said.