Whanganui police to crack down on driver impairment during October

Whanganui police sergeant Colin Wright says there have been 34 road deaths in the region so far this year. Photo / File

Whanganui Police are joining their counterparts around the country in focusing on drunk/drugged drivers during October and encouraging drivers to avoid fatigue.

More than 50 per cent of crashes in New Zealand are due to impaired drivers, police say.

Since May 29, almost a quarter of fatal crashes are suspected to have alcohol as a factor, with an average annual social cost of $446 million.

Forty-three per cent of drivers in crashes in New Zealand have been affected by alcohol or drugs, with an additional 9 per cent affected by fatigue or speed and 4 per cent by fatigue and alcohol or drugs.

So far in 2020, 239 people have been killed on New Zealand roads, with 34 road deaths from 31 crashes in the Taranaki, Whanganui and Manawatū area. This is two more deaths on the road compared to the same time last year. Other people have received life-changing injuries.

Whanganui Police Sergeant Colin Wright said fatigue is another serious driving hazard and with Covid-19 preventing many Kiwis from travelling overseas, it is likely more road trips will be undertaken.

Driver fatigue crashes had a social cost of $291 million in 2016.

Wright said being tired was as dangerous as drink/drug-driving with reaction times and concentration levels decreased. People were encouraged to take regular breaks from driving, share driving responsibility and ensure drivers were fresh.

The Whanganui road policing team recently conducted a short checkpoint on Great North Rd. In a period of 90 minutes, 20 drivers were issued infringement notices for using a mobile phone.

Wright said police will continue to conduct checkpoints using officers in plain clothes to spot offenders not wearing seatbelts or using mobile phones while driving.