As stated by Senior Sergeant Brent Kingsland.
In the lead-up to Christmas you may have noticed more Police around central Invercargill and throughout Southland.
Operation Vis has seen Southland Police targeting retail crime and anti-social behaviour over the past three weeks as well as encouraging safer driver behaviours on our roads.
We want to deter dishonesty and anti-social behaviour in the lead up to Christmas, and make sure people reach their destination.
Police foot patrols and daily road checkpoints will continue, enabling safer roads and communities throughout the holiday period.
Police want people to be planning their Christmas festivities and holidays away, not organising tangi and funerals for loved ones who have died in car crashes.
Please make a conscious decision about whether you are safe to drive. We have had a few occasions where we have detected alcohol at early morning checkpoints on the breath of people driving after a festive night.
The impact on whānau, friends and communities is catastrophic when someone is killed in a road crash. It's also incredibly frustrating for Police to see people losing their lives in completely preventable incidents.
Speed, alcohol, distraction and unrestrained drivers and passengers are still the main causes of death and serious injury.
Please be patient, everyone is trying to get to loved ones safely. We'd rather you arrive late than not at all. Police remain focused on these four main behaviours:
RESTRAINTS: Herenga
Restraints save lives - it's that simple. Yet nearly a third of fatalities involve people not wearing their seatbelts. Anyone who chooses not to wear a seatbelt significantly increases their risk of injury or death if they end up in a crash.
IMPAIRMENT: Pīroiroi
Socialising is fun but drinking and driving should not be mixed. If you're going to drive, avoid alcohol. Police will have a particular focus on drink and driving this summer.
DISTRACTIONS: Wareatanga
Drive distraction free. Put the phone away or pull over.
SPEED: Tere
Even when speed doesn't cause the crash, it is the single biggest determinant in whether you walk away or are carried away. A small change in speed makes a big difference to injury severity in a crash - for you and everyone else involved.
Police will continue to have a visible presence on New Zealand roads this summer, taking enforcement action where necessary. But ultimately, drivers have the responsibility to keep their passengers, other road users, and themselves safe this holiday period.
Police "anywhere, anytime" on roads this summer - I tēnei raumati kei ngā rori Ngā Pirihimana "ahakoa ki hea, ahakoa āhea"
