Hawke's Bay police safety campaign catches drivers ignoring the law

Constable Talwinder Singh at a road policing operation in Hastings. Photo / Warren Buckland

Hawke's Bay police have vowed to continue to check for unsafe drivers until the message gets through, as the number of those ignoring the law rises.

In three hours, over two days, 140 people were caught either not wearing their seatbelt or checking their phone while driving, as part of a Hawke's Bay road policing operation aimed at reducing the road toll.

Constable Nathan Ross says they are "blown away" by how bad it is.

On Thursday, at three checkpoints along Omahu Rd and Karamu Rd, 74 people were caught, including 55 offences for not wearing seatbelts, 12 for cellphone use, two suspended drivers, two car impounds and three arrests.

While on Friday, between 8am to 9.30am, in Greenmeadows, 32 people were found not wearing their seatbelt, and a further 20 people were using their phone while driving.

The standard fine is $150.

Road policing Inspector Matthew Broderick and Senior Sergeant Dan Foley attended.
Ross says the figures indicate that the problem is not confined to one area.

"The last couple of fatalities that we've had on our roads, definitely the last one would have survived if he was wearing a seatbelt. I just don't know why people aren't seeing that."

Ross says they have found a lot of tradies checking their phones or not wearing seatbelts.

"Tradies and truckies are probably at the higher end but it's everyone."

He says when they stop people, they try to educate them on the fact a seatbelt will help save their life if they are in a serious crash.

But more often than not they are given an excuse, along the lines of 'I was checking my emails' or 'my boss rang me'.

However, Ross says it is simple: "Pull over and use your phone, don't use it while you're driving.

"We see it all too often on our roads, crashes caused by distractions."

Crash histories and studies have shown motorists are 60 per cent more likely to survive a collision if they are wearing a seatbelt in the front seat, and 44 per cent more likely to survive if they are in the back seat and are wearing the belt.

Ross says they are going to keep doing checkpoints.

"We've got to get this message out there. We've got to find people, that's the only way that they will learn."