Taupō area road policing manager Vanessa Meharry is encouraging motorists to drive with care as we head into the busy summer period. Photo / David Beck
The faster you go, the bigger the mess.
It's a message that has been drummed into drivers for years.
Yet since the start of 2010 there have been 140,277 speeding offences recorded in the Taupō policing district. This includes Taupō, Tūrangi, Mangakino, Tokoroa and Putāruru.
The fines for those offences equate to $15,923,920.
From 2010 to 2019 there was an average of 12,713 speeding offences per year. In 2020, when fewer cars were on the road due to the Covid-19 lockdowns, there were 8326.
Up to June this year, there had been 4823 offences recorded, equating to $614,600 in fines.
Taupō area road policing manager Vanessa Meharry says speed is the single biggest factor in determining whether someone walks away or is carried away after a crash.
"One of the most important things police want to stress to drivers is that less speed means less harm. A small change in speed makes a difference to injury severity, for the driver and everyone else involved."
With more people heading out on the road during summer, particularly with Waikato and Auckland starting to open up after being in lockdown, that message is more important than ever, she says.
"Taupō is a holiday hotspot, and motorists can expect more vehicles on our roads over the next few months. If we all drive to the conditions, holidaymakers and locals can get to their destinations safely.
"There are a number of reasons why some people choose to drive with excess speed, but the police message is simple – it's just not worth it.
"Extra speed doesn't often mean you arrive faster, and a few minutes saved aren't worth the risk. Your family would rather you take the extra time and get to where you're going safely."
New Zealand Police is committed to reducing death and injury on the road.
"We do this by having a visible presence and targeting the four main behaviours we know contribute to death and injury. These are driving with excess speed, driving while impaired [alcohol, drugs, or fatigue], driving while distracted [including using a device], and not being properly restrained."
St John Lakes territory manager George Clicquot agrees there is a relationship between excess speed and the extent of injury sustained in a crash.
"Throughout the year, St John goes to literally thousands of motor vehicle accidents. In the Taupō and Tūrangi area we see some of the most spectacular of these.
"It's a combination of having some key arterial routes that run through the community which bring people from all over the country through the area, people who often are not familiar with our roads, alongside regular community users who are very familiar with the roads.
"We inevitably end up in a situation where vehicles collide and because of the speeds we see across these roads, and the challenging geography, they are seldom subtle accidents. We see high-speed, head-on collisions."
George says as speed is increased, the severity of the forces involved in a crash increase exponentially.
"Those forces directly result in more severe injuries. Although modern cars have amazing safety features and we have some really awesome stories where people have walked away from incredible impacts, it doesn't change the fact that speed has a direct relationship to the severity of injuries."
His message to motorists is to drive to the conditions and be patient.
"Really think about whether it is worth taking the risk. If you're sitting behind a slower vehicle and you're thinking, 'I'd really love to pass this vehicle right now', is passing it really your top priority in that moment? Is it safe to do so?
"The other thing we see a lot of is being distracted by mobile phones. Don't let your phone make decisions for you. Don't let the phone rule your life, your focus is the road and everything else can wait."
There are 93 horses still facing an uncertain fate.
