Police’s emotional new speeding ad: The excuses they hear and the fatal crashes they see

Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency and NZ Police have launched an emotional road safety campaign. Photo / Supplied

A powerful and emotional new road safety campaign highlights the stark contrast between the excuses police hear for speeding and the horrific scenes of car crashes they see.

The message of the Through My Eyes campaign, launched by Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency and NZ Police, is simple - there are no excuses for speeding.

The video component of the ad shows a police officer going about his normal daily routine - ordering coffee from a cafe, talking to his children and having lunch, which coincides with him pulling over speeding drivers and hearing a number of “same old excuses” before cutting to a grim scene of a car crash.

Police Superintendent Steve Greally, national road policing director, explains that police hear a variety of reasons from drivers trying to justify their speed who believe they won’t get caught, crash or hurt anyone.

Still from the latest road safety campaign launched by NZ Transport Agency and NZ Police.

The excuses commonly include “I was only a few kilometres over”, “I know these roads like the back of my hand” and “I wasn’t going that fast”.

However, police, more than most people, go on to see the consequences of speeding drivers.

“There’s just no reasonable excuse for speeding. We see the unnecessary harm on our roads as a result of excessive speed every day. Police are committed to making Aotearoa New Zealand’s roads safer, but we need everyone to play their part in reducing the number of deaths and serious injuries,” Greally said.

“We want you to get to your destination, so slow down, drive to the speed limit and drive to the conditions. And know that you can expect to see police out on the roads – anytime and anywhere.”

Portfolio manager of Road to Zero, Tara Macmillan, said excessive speed or driving too fast for the conditions are contributing factors in almost all crashes that either kill or seriously injure drivers and their passengers.

Furthermore, Macmillan said speed plays a crucial role in determining the severity of a crash, no matter what caused it.

“Travelling at the safe and appropriate speed is incredibly important in reducing the current level of harm on our roads. Alongside enforcement, ensuring the speed limits on streets and roads are appropriate plays a large role in keeping everyone safe, no matter how they travel,” Macmillan said.

”Waka Kotahi and local councils are implementing safe speeds across the motu, contributing towards creating a safe transport system — and we want New Zealanders to do their part by driving to the conditions and under the posted speed limit.”