Police gear up for holiday safety blitz

By SCOTT MacLEOD

The road toll is set for another record low - but police are mobilising 80 per cent of their highway patrol fleet over the holiday break just to make sure.

The death toll yesterday stood at 382, 39 fewer than at the same time last year, which went on to reach a 37-year low.

The police national road safety manager, Superintendent Steve Fitzgerald, said police had been increasing their traffic policing for the past 10 days. It would peak over the holiday period, which runs from 4pm next Tuesday, December 24, until 6am on January 3.

Mr Fitzgerald said five or six booze buses would operate in Auckland and the Waikato.

He warned motorists that the traditional "killing fields" during holiday time were on roads in the upper North Island outside of Auckland.

Police and road safety groups traditionally urge drivers to buckle up, keep their speed down and avoid alcohol. This year, police are also asking slow-moving motorists to keep left as much as possible to keep traffic flowing and reduce the chance of frustrated drivers trying dangerous overtaking manoeuvres.

Mr Fitzgerald said it was now almost certain that this year's road toll would be a record low.

Setting a record low for the holiday period as well would be "the icing on the cake".

The fewest number of deaths for a Christmas holiday period in the past 20 years was 13, in 1984/1985.

Land Transport Safety Authority figures for the past 20 years show an average of 24 people die in road crashes in the summer holiday period, with 400 to 600 injured.

These figures have been slowly going down.

During the last Christmas holiday period there were 17 fatal crashes and 230 injury crashes, causing 21 deaths, 72 serious injuries and 339 minor injuries.

Herald feature: Cutting the road toll

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