Our key message to drivers is “check your speed” because no matter what the cause of a crash, the speed at which vehicles are travelling determines the severity of trauma on our roads.

Police will be highly visible over the summer, and as with the previous two years, we’ll be enforcing a reduced 4km/h speed threshold throughout December and January. This means anyone caught exceeding the posted speed limit by more than 4km/h should expect to be ticketed.

We’ll also be targeting impaired drivers and every driver stopped can expect to be breath-tested.

As with all our road safety campaigns, our sole objective is to prevent loss of life and serious injury on our roads.

The Christmas-New Year period and the summer school holidays that run either side are a time for families to be together and cherishing each other, not grieving the loss of a loved one. Nobody wants to receive that tragic news, and no police officer wants to knock on someone’s door to deliver it.

Holidays are for memories, not memorials, so please check your speed.

http://www.police.govt.nz/news/commissioners-blog/check-your-speed