Grim Reaper back on the safety beat

Parents have complained the deathly character scares their children. Photo / Hawke's Bay Today

A road safety campaigner is refusing to apologise for using scare tactics to terrify Hawkes Bay motorists into slowing down.

Since Monday the deathly figure of the Grim Reaper has been stalking the roadside from Wairoa down to Central Hawkes Bay.

Roadsafe Hawkes Bay and the police have identified areas of traffic volume and potential speeding and crash sites.

And while the reaper isn't in the position to hand out tickets, nearby police using laser speed targeting equipment have been.

It is the third year Roadsafe Hawkes Bay has rolled out the "reaper" campaign.

For police the timing could not be more appropriate, as the region has been rocked by a series of fatal and serious injury road crashes over the past 11 days.

During last year's spring school holidays Roadsafe's co-ordinator Sally Phelps took calls from parents telling her their young children had been frightened by her use of the Grim Reaper.

But Ms Phelps wouldn't apology then and refuses to now.

"They had been frightened - but death on the road is scary," she said.

"The harsh reality of a car crash is far more horrific.

"People will see much worse at the scene of a crash."

The fact it had affected youngsters had been a positive as they had voiced their fears about the "gruesome" figure to their parents, Ms Phelps said. "Softly softly campaigns don't do it."

* Statistics show that excessive speed contributes to around 30 per cent of fatal crashes and 15 per cent of injury crashes in New Zealand.