Police urge Tairāwhiti motorists to ‘plan ahead and be patient’ with visitor influx

Police said people should expect to see police on main and back roads across Tairāwhiti, focusing on restraints, impairment, distractions and speed.

Police have urged motorists to plan ahead and expect hold-ups due to the influx of traffic coming into Tairāwhiti over the holidays.

Tairāwhiti Area Commander Inspector Danny Kirk said the roads had been busy with Rhythm and Vines on and people travelling to see their families.

“If you’re on the road, remember that you’re sharing it with people who might be new to the region. While you might know the terrain, our visitors might not,” he said.

“We’ve all got places to be, but build in some extra travel time so you don’t run late if you’re held up by traffic or something as simple as a flat tyre.”

Kirk said people should expect to see police on main and back roads across Tairāwhiti.

“They’ll be focusing on restraints, impairment, distractions and speed – so stay sober if you’re driving, buckle up and make sure your passengers are wearing their belts, ignore the phone and drive to the conditions.

“If we stop you, expect to be breath tested, and be warned that we’re not accepting excuses for poor driving behaviour.”

Kirk said police would be “unapologetically focused” on road safety.

“It’s the holidays, and we’ve all got a responsibility to make sure that we, our passengers, and everyone else on the roads gets to where we’re going in one piece. That’s our goal, and every driver plays a part in that.”

He asked anyone who saw unsafe driving behaviour on the roads to call the police on 111 if it was happening now, or make a report via 105.police.govt.nz or by calling 105.