Police ask drivers to be patient after 14 road deaths so far this holiday period

Monday, 3 January 2022

A chance sighting by an NPD tanker driver led to the discovery of a missing woman who had spent 30 hours stuck in her crashed car.

With the holiday period road toll at 14 early on Monday, police are asking drivers to be patient and expect delays.

“As families start heading home to go back to work, or relocate to another hotspot, police are reminding all drivers to be patient, keep calm and expect delays,” Assistant Commissioner deployment and road policing Bruce O’Brien said.

“It’s crucial that everyone on our roads behaves safely.

“That means no speeding and driving to the conditions because speeding and bad decision-making on the road can have devastating consequences.”

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The long queue of traffic heading north out of Auckland last Monday morning.

Drivers needed to remember they weren’t the only ones using the road, O’Brien said.

“Motorcyclists and cyclists will be out taking advantage of the summer weather, so check twice for motorcyclists before changing lanes and wait for a clear space before passing a cyclist - especially on a narrow road.”

Drivers also needed to approach long and heavy trucks with caution and respect.

“The risk of a fatal crash is too high when bad decisions are made around trucks as they can’t stop quickly and can cause significant harm,” O’Brien said.

Police encouraged drivers to wait for a passing lane or slow bay before passing, specially when passing a truck, caravan or campervan.

On Monday morning Waka Kotahi NZTA advised that drivers should continue to expect heavy traffic on State Highway 1 heading north out of Auckland. It recommended travellers delay their journeys, or consider using the alternative SH16 route.

Police said that by early Monday 14 people had died on the roads this Christmas/New Year’s holiday period. The period started at 4pm on December 24, and will end at 6am this Wednesday.

O’Brien encouraged drivers to avoid becoming fatigued, saying it was a factor in many crashes. “Before you start a long-distance drive make sure you are well rested and have had a good meal beforehand.”

Drivers should also plan breaks on their trip, share the driving if they could, and take a break if they did start to feel tired.

Drivers also needed to watch following distances, so they had space to react if something went wrong ahead of them.