Lethal weekend on NZ roads

The New Zealand road toll is sitting at 292, 41 up from the same time last year.

Police are pleading with drivers to take more responsibility after a lethal weekend on the country's roads.

Nine people have died between Friday and the early hours of this morning, bringing the road toll to 292 for 2017, up 41 on the same time last year.

At least 10 others have been injured or seriously injured.

Assistant Commissioner Road Policing, Sandra Venables says this weekend's fatalities will have left families devastated up and down the country.

'Every death is reported as a number, but each number has a face, a name and a family.

They leave behind loved ones whose lives have been changed forever.”

'Those that have been seriously injured can face months if not years of rehabilitation and treatment.

'We cannot continue to tolerate the loss."

She said it was too early to give exact details of the causes of the weekend's crashes but speed, fatigue, losing control and crossing the centre-line were all factors.

"Human beings are fallible, and crashes will occur.

However, the incidence of injury or deaths can be reduced when we accept, comply with, and share the responsibility for using our roads safely."

'Police are committed to reducing death and injury on our roads and our staff are out there every day targeting unsafe drivers."

However, she says, police could only do so much.

Ultimately safe journeys start and end with driver behaviour.

'Every time you get behind the wheel you hold your life and the lives of your passengers and your fellow road users in your hands. Please take this responsibility seriously – wear your seat belt, make sure your passengers are wearing seatbelts, watch your speed and drive to the conditions.

'We have another long weekend coming up when traditionally more people will be out on the roads.

Everybody needs to focus on getting to their destination and home again safely.”

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3 comments

Let's up the speed limit, kill folk quicker

Posted on 09-10-2017 13:06 | By Murray.Guy

Nine people have died between Friday and the early hours of this morning, bringing the road toll to 292 for 2017, up 41 on the same time last year.... this is despite the NZTA supposedly making better roads, safer roads, roads to better accommodate significant traffic intensification. With the reality of human behavior and frailties being never constant, never changing, it beggars belief that the authorities now consider upping speed limits on allegedly safer roads. The safer a road 'appears to be', drivers instinctively drive faster, take more risks! The slower driver on a single lane highway will invariably speed up at passing lanes mentality.


Another piece of halfwitted logic from ex Councillor Guy

Posted on 09-10-2017 17:36 | By mutley

The cause of the weekend's carnage may well not be speed related at all. Police have been banging on about speed and drink driving forever and yet the road toll gets worse. Is it just possible that there are other more important factors like: bald tyres in the wet weather, old unsafe cars, increased traffic density due to greater economic activity, more driver distraction from mobile and in-car devices. No matter how slow you drive, these factors can still produce lethal results. NZ has one of the oldest vehicle fleets in the developed world and we are one of the few countries where the road toll is not falling. The German autobahns with no speed limit in some places are approx four times safer than driving in NZ. Think about it.


No surprises there!

Posted on 09-10-2017 17:50 | By triplediamond

When are authorities and GOVT. going to get it?We have too many idiots allowed to drive vehicles on our roads... Obtaining a driving licence should not be a right for everyone.It needs to be earned and achieved through learning how to drive with classroom and proper practical skills training. If you disagree just look at the road toll.Roads, cars, trucks, motorbikes, weather etc do not cause crashes! People do.How simple can it be?Also, regular driver testing should be compulsory. Take a look overseas where road tolls are much lesser and driver numbers much greater.Simple really!


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