Whanganui police report reduction in Whanganui crashes during January

When a driver was distracted momentarily, their vehicle struck a parked car and then a concrete power pole with such force that the impact broke the pole and cut power to 200-plus residents. Photo / Whanganui Police

We're now well into 2020 and as yet the central district area has not had any fatalities for this calendar year.

Tragically, in 2019 350 people were killed on New Zealand roads. So far in 2020 there have been 17 road deaths nationally, with many more left with life-changing injuries.

In December Whanganui police attended and investigated 54 vehicle crashes and in January this has dropped significantly to 25.

These are attended with other first responders such as the fire service and ambulance crews. These frontline responders can be dealing with trapped and injured patients, vehicles crashed in precarious and dangerous positions, live powerlines down, fires - and all of this could be in any manner of weather conditions at any time of the day or night.

First responders attend to a car that crashed into the Whanganui River. Photo / Whanganui Police

There are usually vehicles to be towed, injured patients to be treated and rides to be arranged. Often roading crews are needed for traffic management and for the cleaning up of debris and the road. Then there is the follow-up work after a crash, with the fixing of any damage to signs, fences, roads, insurance claims and the repairing of vehicles.

For the month of February local police will be focussing on restraints. The use of seatbelts and restraints saves lives. The force on seatbelts can be as much as 20 times your body weight - this is how hard you'd hit the inside of your vehicle without using a restraint.

This car was reported to have taken on a life of its own due to a mechanical failure. It had been recently purchased privately and did not have a current warrant of fitness or registration. Photo / Whanganui Police

In the 2019 calendar year 3764 infringement notices were issued for restraint-related offences in the Central District, which includes Whanganui, Taranaki and Manawatū. The cost of an infringement notice for not wearing a seatbelt is $150.

* Damon Evans is a sergeant with the Whanganui police.