Police operating an alcohol driver-impaired checkpoint in the Bay of Plenty. Photo / George Novak
Police operating an alcohol driver-impaired checkpoint in the Bay of Plenty. Photo / George Novak
Nearly 100 people a month were caught drink-driving on Tauranga and Western Bay of Plenty roads in the first nine months of the year, road policing data shows.
The Bay of Plenty police region, which also includes Rotorua, Taupō and the eastern Bay, has one of the worst road tollsin the country with alcohol-impaired driving, speeding, and distracted driving blamed for much of the carnage.
Ministry of Transport data reveals 46 people have died on Bay of Plenty roads as of yesterday - five more deaths than in 2020 and second only to Canterbury's 48 deaths.
The latest available road policing data also revealed 897 drink-drivers were caught on Western Bay roads between January and September, clocking up fines of $52,800.
This compared to 1061 drink-drivers and $56,400 fines for the entire 2020 calendar year.
Meanwhile, 6457 drivers were caught speeding on Tauranga and Western Bay roads, with another 260 found not wearing a seat belt.
Speeding drivers in this district were fined a total of $765,940. Drivers in Rotorua, Taupō and the eastern Bay copped more than $2.3m in speeding fines, with the regional total exceeding $3.1m.
Assistant police commissioner Bruce O'Brien said on Monday there had been an incredibly tragic start to the Christmas and New Year holiday season with at least five dead on the country's roads since December 24.
People should be planning for an enjoyable and restful festive season not planning tangi or funerals for their loved ones, he said.
"The impact on whānau, friends and communities cannot be measured when someone is killed in a road crash. It is incredibly frustrating for the police to see people losing their lives in completely preventable incidents.
O'Brien said alcohol, speed, distractions and people being unrestrained in vehicles continued to be driving factors of road deaths and many injury crashes.
In July a Bay of Plenty police spokeswoman said a large number of road-related deaths in the region this year were the result of impaired or distracted driving, and speed was also a significant contributing factor in many crashes.
Brake New Zealand's director Caroline Perry. Photo / NZME
Brake New Zealand's director Caroline Perry, said the data was "extremely concerning" and it was frustrating that so many people still choose to put lives at risk on Bay of Plenty roads.
"Drink-driving crashes have devastating consequences, and even small amounts of alcohol impair your driving, so the only safe amount of alcohol to have before you get behind the wheel is none."
Perry said she was calling on all drivers to "give the road their full attention" and avoid taking risks if heading away during the holiday period.
"We need people to slow down, never drive fatigued or after consuming alcohol or drugs, take regular rest breaks, and abide by all the other road rules."
Stacey Spall, the AA Bay of Plenty District Council chairwoman and national convenor. Photo / Supplied
Stacey Spall, the AA Bay of Plenty District Council chairwoman and national convenor, said
the latest road police figures made disturbing reading.
"Unfortunately, our message is pretty much the same as last holiday season, and urge everyone to ensure they exercise extreme caution on our roads this holiday break.
"This is a high-pressure time of year. People are rushing, people are stressed. It only takes a moment's inattention for someone to make a grave mistake or people making a silly choice to drive when they know they shouldn't, for a serious injury crash to happen."
Drink-driving certainly becomes a significant issue around Christmas and New Year break and Spall urged people to plan ahead so they were not tempted to do so.
Consuming alcohol and driving, speeding or driving distracted was just not worth taking these risks, Spall said.
Roger Brady, the NZ Transport Agency's Bay of Plenty's systems manager, said after a long and difficult year for many, people deserved a safe and relaxing holiday.
He said deaths and serious injuries on the region's roads were not an inevitable consequence of just another part of the busy holiday period.
"We're all human and we can all make mistakes, but we also have the power to make decisions which will help keep the roads safer for everyone.
"We all need to do simple things to keep safe on the road. Remember it's not a race.
"You're on holiday, so take your time, be courteous to other drivers, watch your following distances, keep your speed down, plan your journey and rest before you set off."
