Christmas speed tolerance cut

Photo / Christchurch Star.

Police will again be enforcing a lowering of the speed tolerance to 5km/h over the speed limit this holiday season, insisting the move will save lives and prevent crashes.

Officers will be out in force from 4pm on Christmas Eve to 6am on January 5 targeting drivers detected driving over the 5km/h tolerance.

The national manager of road policing, Superintendent Paula Rose, said the policy would continue while police studied its effectiveness.

The 5km/h tolerance during holiday periods, lower than the usual 10km/h discretion, was introduced this year with mixed results. There was a big reduction in the road toll during Queen's Birthday Weekend but the same number - eight - died during the Labour Weekend holiday as last year.

Ms Rose told the Herald there was not the same reduction in deaths at Labour Weekend but there was a substantial reduction in crashes around the country. "We're doing it again and evaluating how effective it is and will keep looking at that."

The 5km/h tolerance also applies outside schools during term time.

"We're building that body of evidence and we're making decisions about whether it's long-term or just for holiday weekends until we build up a sufficient body of evidence that supports us undertaking this activity."

She said that although police had overseas evidence, it had not been tested locally. "It's a bit like everything you try - you have to do it for a while."

One of the most effective measures for reducing road accidents was to get traffic moving at the same speed.

"What we do know from the overseas research around speed is they are able to quantify the benefits of reducing speed quite simply. The estimate is a 3 to 5 per cent reduction in fatalities if we can drop the mean speed by a kilometre [an hour]."

A number of passing lanes would also be closed to keep traffic flowing smoothly. "With the high traffic volumes over this period what we need is for the traffic to travel at uniform speeds to avoid hold-ups and dangerous and irrational overtaking."

Automobile Association general manager Mike Noon agreed it was important to get traffic travelling at a similar speed.

"What we say to police is we want them focusing on those drivers driving dangerously and inconsiderately and not letting vehicles pass."

ROAD TOLL
Queen's Birthday Weekend

* One death compared with 10 in 2009.

* 23 per cent reduction in crashes from last year.

Labour Weekend

* Eight dead this year - the same number as 2009.

* But about a 30 per cent reduction in crashes.

Last Christmas and New Year holidays

* 12 fatal crashes resulting in 13 deaths.

* 67 serious injuries.

* 342 minor injuries