Road-Toll Statistics Force Police to Act
Posted on: Tuesday, 14 February 2006, 15:00 CST
South Island police resources are being pooled in an effort to reverse a worrying trend of road deaths in Canterbury.
Canterbury road policing manager Inspector Derek Erasmus said road deaths had doubled in the months February to April of the past three years.
Since 2002, the cumulative deaths for February was 20, 24 for March and 25 for April.
That compared with just 10 in the three Januarys (to 2005) and seven deaths in the past three Decembers.
In response Operation Impact has been launched -- drawing resources from highway patrols, tactical alcohol groups, and commercial vehicle investigation units of the Southern and Tasman regions.
"A zero-tolerance philosophy should be followed for all trauma- promoting offences, and speed- tolerance policy should be strictly complied with," Erasmus said.
Trauma promoting offences included following too closely, crossing the centre line, failing to stop at stop signs and dangerous overtaking manoeuvres.
Erasmus said alcohol and fatigue checkpoints would also be set up.
The new campaign comes after a horror January in which 10 people died on Canterbury roads. The national road toll is 53.
Independent crash consultant Hamish Piercy said "fatigue is a bigger killer on our roads than it is given credit for. It's certainly a good thing to increase awareness".
Source: Press, The; Christchurch, New Zealand
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