Police in the Wellington District are gearing up for the Queen's Birthday Holiday long weekend.
Senior Sergeant Doug Rowan of the Wellington District Road Policing Group says police from throughout Kapiti-Mana, Porirua, Upper Hutt, Lower Hutt, Wairarapa and Wellington City are preparing for a busy but safe Queen's Birthday period.
Police throughout the Wellington District commence Operation "QB 2007" on Friday 1 June 2007, running through until the end of the official Queen's Birthday Holiday period at 6am on Tuesday 5 June 2007.
"As a large number of Wellington families and individuals traditionally leave the Wellington Region over this holiday period the operation will focus on ensuring the tens of thousands of motorists leaving Wellington via SH1 and SH2 on Friday are able to do so safely and without undue delays," says Senior Sergeant Rowan.
"Likewise the return period on Monday the 4th of June will be a time requiring much patience and attention to driving.
"During the evening hours, alcohol and drugged driving offenders will be a focus for all police staff," he says.
"During the day and night police will also be targeting speeding drivers, those not wearing seat belts and dangerous driving such as red light runners, stop sign offenders, drivers following too close, dangerous overtaking and careless driving.
"We will be out on the roads maintaining a highly visible presence," says Senior Sergeant Rowan. "We want people to have a safe Queen's Birthday Holiday and we want people to reach their destinations in one piece and then get home again safely."
Officers will be doing their best to keep traffic flowing smoothly and to keep delays, which lead to frustration among drivers and passengers, to a minimum, he says.
Road users can help by: • pulling over to let faster moving traffic pass • wearing their seat belts • keeping within the speed limits • putting the brakes on risk-taking behaviour • avoiding alcohol if you're planning on driving • taking regular breaks to avoid fatigue • using 'Driver Reviver' stops where you see them on your travels, e.g. for the return journey the driver reviver station at Waikanae is an ideal spot to stop and rest.
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Queen's Birthday Holiday 2006 crash statistics and other facts:
• Over the official Queen's Birthday Holiday period in 2006 there were 3 fatal crashes and 103 reported injury crashes nationally.
• These crashes resulted in 3 deaths, 22 serious injuries and 132 minor injuries. No fatalities were recorded in the Wellington District.
• The 3 deaths included 1 driver, 1 passenger and 1 pedestrian.
• Fatalities and serious injury crashes are largely associated with alcohol, speed, failure to wear restraints and other trauma promoting offending such as dangerous overtaking, failing to stop at intersections and other careless and dangerous driving behaviour.
• All of the fatal crashes and 45% of the injury crashes reported during the 2006 Queen's Birthday Holiday weekend occurred on the open road.
• 43% of crashes were single vehicle crashes in which a driver lost control or ran off the road; 26% were intersection collisions; 7% were head-on collisions; 8% were rear end crashes or collisions with obstructions (such as parked vehicles); and another 5% involved collisions with pedestrians.
• Injuries and fatalities would be dramatically reduced if people were more aware of their alcohol consumption, speed, restraint wearing and general driver behaviour.
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For more information contact Senior Sergeant Doug Rowan:
Tel (04) 439 0824