Wednesday, 8 April 2026 - 9:44am

Stop, rest, survive

1 min read

News article photos (3 items)

Sergeant Nathan Ross standing behind a free coffee sign while setting up for the fatigue stop on the Napier-Taupō Road.
Members of the Road Safe Hawke's Bay team in front of their gazebo at the fatigue stop.
A police officer helping with the BBQ.

Police in Eastern District teamed up with Road Safe Hawke's Bay on Good Friday for an Easter weekend fatigue stop on State Highway 5, at Mohaka.

More than 100 vehicles of mostly families dropped in for coffee or a bite to eat.

While the majority of motorists were Kiwis, several overseas travellers who stopped were very impressed with the idea of a fatigue break.

One couple from Germany was so enthralled they live-streamed the fatigue stop to family back home.

Senior Constable Grant Marshall from the Impairment Prevention Team says driving while fatigued is one of the top five behaviours that cause the most serious and fatal road crashes.

He says the message they were sharing was for people to be mindful of their fatigue while driving and ensure they took regular rest stops.

Grant says police in Eastern District work closely with Road Safe Hawkes Bay and without this collaboration a lot of good messaging and practical advice would not get to the public.