Police welcome safer Easter on roads

Police are thanking New Zealand road users for making it a safer Easter weekend on the roads, with provisional figures showing just one fatality over the break. One person died on Sunday following a crash near Lake Pukaki in the Canterbury Police District. Conditionally it is the second ever lowest Easter road toll on record, following the zero deaths achieved in 2012. Five people died on the roads in 2014, and three in 2013. “While the one death recorded is a tragedy, it’s heartening that no other families have been left grieving this Easter, says Inspector Peter McKennie, Road Policing National Operations Manager. “We thank the driving public for their efforts overall in making it a generally safer Easter for everyone.” Over the long weekend Police targeted high risk driver behaviour – including drink and drug-impaired driving, speeding, and failing to wear safety belts – including for children and other passengers. In addition to breath testing and other high visibility policing tactics, Police enforced a reduced 4km/h speed threshold as it had done for every other long holiday weekend since Queen’s Birthday Weekend in 2010. Mr McKennie said it was pleasing that overall, road users seemed to be getting the road safety message. “We acknowledge all of the road users across the country who played their part to make it a safer Easter for everyone. But the challenge now is to keep that momentum going throughout the rest of the year and make it a record low road toll for all of 2015.”