Centre line warning for long weekend

File photo / Bay of Plenty Times

Errant drivers who cross the centre line will be part of the police's Labour weekend "lifesaver campaign" that aims to stop road carnage.

Police said today that as well as ticketing anyone who exceeds the speed limit by 4km/h, they will also be targeting drivers who cause "particularly nasty" high-speed crashes by crossing the centre line.

Police national roading manager Superintendent Paula Rose said the crashes often happened at high speed.

"When one vehicle crosses into the path of another, it is usually a result of excess speed, fatigue, alcohol, inattention or any combination of those factors.

"What you can end up with is someone who is driving along, minding their own business, being unexpectedly struck by a vehicle which has crossed into their path and is coming at them out of the blue.

"Innocent and blameless people are often killed. The speeds are often high and the carnage is severe."

Ms Rose said police campaigns in Tasman and Central police districts which both had heavy traffic volumes and windy roads, had revealed many drivers had failed to keep to the left, especially on many blind corners.

"Drivers need to be really conscious of these hazards, especially on the busy roads during holiday weekends."

"If we can provoke drivers into thinking more carefully about keeping well to the left and keeping their speeds down, we can prevent a small error having catastrophic results.

"We are hoping for a weekend with no road deaths at all."

She said police would be out in large numbers with as many front line staff as possible on road patrols.

The holiday period begins at 4pm tomorrow and runs until 6am on Tuesday.

The New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA) said today that work would stop on most state highway projects in Auckland and Northland over the holidays.

NZTA state highways manager for Auckland and Northland, Tommy Parker, said it would help provide drivers with a smoother journey.

"People, however, will still need to take care when they drive through construction zones. Speed restrictions will be in place, and they should be observed to ensure safety on these sections of highway."

He urged drivers to plan journeys to avoid delays.

Slowing down to look at road works, particularly at the new Kopu Bridge site on the Coromandel, could cause delays and crashes. Nose-to-tail crashes were traditionally among the most common type of Labour Weekend crashes around Auckland.

- NZPA