Counties Manukau Police are looking forward to a safe summer on the roads in the District knowing that the drink-drive message is getting through to motorists.
A Compulsory Breath Test operation was held on 12-13 December which resulted in only 24 (0.54%) of the 4474 drivers producing a positive evidential breath test.
This was the first large-scale checkpoint operation in the District since the new blood and breath alcohol limits were introduced at the beginning of December.
“This is a great result for the District,” says Counties Manukau Police District Road Policing Manager Inspector Richard Wilkie. “We want to make it known that drivers can find a Police checkpoint at any time and in any place and everyone should expect to be breath tested when they are pulled over for any reason. We hope that finding only 24 drivers over the limit out of over 4,000 tested means that the message is getting through and people are taking responsibilty to ensure they are driving safely on our roads.”
By comparison, a similar-sized operation in August 2009 (Operation Night Owl) saw 4,089 driver tested on the first night, with 100 providing a positive sample, and 5,451 drivers tested on the second night with 105 of those providing a positive result (2.15% of all drivers across the weekend).
“This is a huge reduction in the percentage of intoxicated drivers over the past five years and conveys hope that attitudes are shifting in the right direction,” says Inspector Wilkie.
Police hope the road safety trend will extend to other areas of the “Fatal 5”, particularly reducing speed and wearing safety belts.
“Crashes can happen at any time and for any reason. The two things that motorists can do to reduce the risk of serious injury or fatality for themselves and passengers in their vehicle is to lower their speed and make sure that every single person in the car is wearing a safety belt for the whole journey.
“We hope that everyone has a happy Christmas by getting home to their family every night. One fatality on the road is one too many and we don’t want to have to give anyone the bad news that their loved one won’t be making it home.
“Enjoy Christmas safely by wearing your seatbelt, slowing down and don’t drink and drive,” says Inspector Wilkie.
ENDS
Issued by Kimberley Mathews/Communications Manager, Counties Manukau Police
021 192 0717