Police statistics show alcohol-related offences in Rotorua are set to reach a five-year high. Photo / File
Police statistics show alcohol-related offences in Rotorua are set to reach a five-year high. Photo / File
The message from New Zealand Police and the NZ Transport Agency to road users is simple – drive as if your life and the lives of those around you depend on it.
Between January and September of this year there were 461 alcohol-related offences in Rotorua, which is set to reach a five-year high.
The release of the figures comes as police found 36 alleged drunk drivers in Rotorua over a Friday and Saturday-period in December during a targeted campaign.
There have been 12 road deaths in the Rotorua region this year to date which is a five-year high and exceeding last year's road toll of just three in the area.
Assistant commissioner for road policing Sandra Venables said there had already been too many people dying on the roads this year.
"We want you all to enjoy the New Zealand summer with your loved ones.
"Decisions you make as a driver impact not only on you, but all other road users."
Venables said passengers also needed to make good decisions about "whose hands they are putting their life in" such as enforced seatbelt use and using designated drivers to ensure safety on the road.
One of the most commonly cited contributing factors for crashes over the Christmas holiday period was alcohol or drugs which affected 18 per cent of all crashes.
Venables said over the summer period there would be a strong operational focus on road safety.
"Our staff will be targeting the four main behaviours we know contribute to death and serious injury on the road: driving impaired, by fatigue, drugs, or alcohol, driving distracted, not wearing your seatbelt and speeding."
Police said they will be targeting the four main behaviours they know contribute to death and serious injury on the road this summer. Photo / File
NZ Transport Agency safety and environment director Harry Wilson said the high number of deaths and serious injuries on the roads affected families and communities across New Zealand.
"We know that four simple rules can be the difference between a safe or tragic outcome on the road.
"At the end of the day, agencies can't do this alone. We need everyone's help to keep the roads safe, road safety is everybody's responsibility."
Ministry of Transport manager, mobility and safety Brent Johnston said the hundreds of lives lost and the thousands injured on our roads this year was an absolute tragedy.
He said it was horrific that on average, one person was killed every day on the road and another was injured about every hour of every day.
"The Ministry of Transport is leading the development of a new road safety strategy, working with our road safety partner agencies and a wide range of stakeholder groups.
"In the meantime, we're asking all drivers and riders this summer to make good choices on the roads. No one thinks a crash will happen to them, but we all make mistakes," Johnston said.
