Southern Police will be out and about on state highways monitoring whether drivers are travelling too close to other vehicles in Operation Close, a district-wide enforcement initiative which kicks off in September.
Travelling too close to the vehicle in front is a leading or contributing cause of many crashes in the district.
In total, 920 crashes in Southland and Otago in the past five years have occurred from vehicles travelling too close to the vehicle in front. This has resulted in two people being killed, 36 people receiving serious injuries and 474 people receiving other injuries.
"One of the best ways to reduce this risk is for drivers to give themselves more time to react and to travel at safe following distances," says Southern District Highway Patrol Senior Sergeant, Steve Larking.
There are basic behaviours that people can adopt, Senior Sergeant Larking says. These include counting out the `2-second rule', which is an indication of a safe following distance irrespective of speed, keeping up awareness of the behaviour of the driver in front of them, and generally being courteous and considerate on the road.
Police have received a number of complaints about vehicles travelling too close. This is behaviour which people find frustrating and it is, at times, very dangerous.
People often don't know what to do if a person is travelling too close behind them. They should indicate to the left and pull over in a safe location to allow the tailgating driver to pass, or slow down on a straight piece of road to allow the person behind to overtake, Senior Sergeant Larking says.
Police will be marking out lengths of highway where they can identify if drivers are travelling too close. Drivers could face a fine of up to $150 if they are detected.
ENDS
Media contact: Steve Larking, Senior Sergeant, Highway Patrol, Dunedin Police, ph 03 471-4800