Bay drivers behaving, police say

Police are happy that there has been no major incidents in the Bay this long weekend so far.

Drivers on Hawke's Bay roads were given the thumbs-up by police yesterday as the Queen's Birthday holiday weekend went past the half-way point.

"We have had no major incidents reported to us - on the whole, people have been very well-behaved on the roads," Senior Sergeant Ross Smith said.

"We are very happy with the way it has been going."

He said police were hoping it would stay that way.

"So everyone gets home at the end of the weekend, safe and sound."

The only incident of note happened on Saturday afternoon when a driver failed to stop for police at Te Pohue on SH5.

Mr Smith said the man was known to police and it was confirmed the plates on his car did not match the make.

He refused to stop so was monitored as he drove toward Napier.

A set of road spikes was laid near Westshore as he left the highway and he was brought to a halt without incident about 2.30pm.

The man was wanted for questioning in relation to previous matters. Extra police had been rostered on for the long weekend and were focusing on speed, drink-driving and correct seatbelt use.

Mr Smith said he had no immediate figures of how many people might have been picked up for breaching those rules.

A reduced 4km/h speed limit tolerance was being firmly enforced.

But hopes that the country would see a repeat of last Queen's Birthday weekend's zero road toll had been well dashed.

As of late yesterday, there had been five road deaths, including one crash at Rakaia on Saturday, when three people, two of them children, died.

On Saturday night, a man, described as in his mid-30s, died after his car crashed into a power pole in Ekatahuna after he left a party.

Police said initial indications showed speed and alcohol were factors in the crash.

Just three hours into the holiday weekend, last Friday night, a passenger in a 4WD vehicle died after it collided with a campervan on the Coromandel Peninsula.

The holiday period ends at 6am tomorrow.