Speeding one of four police targets to reduce high road toll

Waikato Police are targeting four areas to lower fatalities on the road. Photo / File

More than 2800 infringement notices are given out a month in the Waikato for speeding, as police try to tackle a rising road toll.

That does not include speed camera infringement notices.

By May 6, 143 people had died on New Zealand roads this year. On Tuesday Waikato road policing manager Inspector Marcus Lynam told Hamilton City Council in the Waikato District they were 13 fatalities. On Wednesday there were two more fatalities near Ōtorohanga.

The Waikato Police District covers the area between Te Kauwhata in the north, Benneydale in the south, Raglan to the west and the Coromandel Peninsula to the east.

At the Hamilton City Council growth and infrastructure meeting on Tuesday, Mr Lynam told councillors the police had a high level strategic target of a 5 per cent reduction in road deaths every year.

"Up until a few months ago we were doing quite well, but then we had a horror month where there have been multiple fatalities. Fortunately for us they have not been in the Waikato, the region has done quite well at the moment, it has a year to date of 35 per cent reduction in fatalities."

He said the police are focusing on four key areas which will have the biggest impact on lowering deaths on the road.

The first one is restraints, with Mr Lynam saying in 25 per cent of all fatal crashes the person has not been wearing their seatbelt.

"For the Waikato we issue 400 restraints infringement notices a month. It is unbelievable that people don't do that very simple thing of making it click. A large majority of them are passengers."

He said the second area was around impairment, which includes being under the influence of alcohol or drugs.

"Alcohol represents 22 per cent of all fatalities, drugs represent 24 per cent and fatigue represents 19 per cent. Our monthly prosecution rate for drink driving which is by far the largest is 210 a month, either infringements or through the courts."

He said in December a tri-city police operation was held, with police coming over from Rotorua for two nights to breath test over 10,000 drivers in Hamilton.

"Over the two nights, 354 of them had evidence of alcohol on their breath, and 77 were over the limited."

The third area is distractions, which includes using a cellphone while driving.

"Using a phone while driving represents 19 per cent of all fatalities, and we give 200 infringement notices a month for that in the Waikato."

He said the final area the police were tackling was speeding, with over 2800 infringement notices given out monthly in the Waikato.