Police lower speed tolerance for all public holidays
Police will be lowering their speed tolerance to 4kmh over the limit for all public holidays, starting this Queens Birthday weekend.
Police will be lowering their speed tolerance to 4kmh over the limit for all public holidays, starting this Queens Birthday weekend.
"We believe that lowering the tolerance has made a real difference to the number of deaths on the roads over the holiday periods", national manager of road policing Superintendent Paula Rose said.
Lowering the speeding tolerance was introduced last Queen's Birthday after a disastrous Easter when 12 people died on the roads. That Queen's Birthday weekend saw a huge turnaround with only two deaths and a more than 30 percent reduction in crashes.
Since then, police have lowered the tolerance level every holiday weekend and have seen a consistently lowered road toll, she said.
"We think that it is making a difference and that as most drivers have now become used to the idea, it seems obvious to introduce it permanently. The lowered tolerance does have the unexpected benefit of making drivers concentrate and focus on their driving and their speed. This has spin-off benefits in making their driving safer.
"There are many factors involved in reducing fatalities on the roads but this is one thing that we can do that is making a difference," Ms Rose said
Over this weekend along with the continued focus on speed, police will also target fatigue and alcohol.
"The road toll this year is very low so far, the lowest we have ever had and we want to keep in that way," Ms Rose said.
The Queens Birthday period starts at 6pm Friday and finishes on Tuesday at 6am.
NZPA
Thu, 02 Jun 2011
Thu, 02 Jun 2011
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Police lower speed tolerance for all public holidays
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