Work weekend road toll is worst in a decade
New Zealand equaled its worst weekend labor road toll in a decade, with eight fatalities.
Photo: RNZ / Tim Brown
One person was killed in an accident on the Ruapana Raceway on Sunday, but the death is not included in the road toll.
Last year there were also eight fatalities over the Labor Weekend.
AA Road Safety spokesperson Dylan Thomsen said it was tragic and this year should be seen as one of the nation’s worst Labor Weekend road tolls due to the sheer numbers of people currently blocked by Covid-19.
He says it’s a terrible result when there would have been fewer people moving to New Zealand.
The road toll was very disappointing, said police inspector Peter McKennie Morning report.
“My heart goes out to all the loved ones who have tragically lost loved ones over the holiday season.”
Most crashes are the result of mistakes rather than extreme behavior, he said.
“None of us are safe from risk, it’s just about staying focused at all times when driving or otherwise on or around the roads and driving in a way and at a speed that allows you. to react safely when the unexpected happens. “
He said investigations were currently underway into the cause of the weekend crashes, but there was usually more than one factor involved.
“Speed is a factor in every crash, in terms of impact speed.
“A lot of people don’t recognize that even your five-star rated vehicles, when everyone is strapped in, are still only designed to protect occupants at speeds of up to 70 km / h in a head-on collision.”
“People need to be able to drive at a speed and in a way that allows them to achieve survival speed when the unexpected happens in front of them.”
As the weather gets warmer there are more and more motorcycles on the road.
McKennie said it’s important to double-watch for motorcycles.
“Motorcyclists are more vulnerable, they don’t have the same protection as people in cars, so it’s about everyone on the road sharing the road and being aware of everyone around them.”
For every person killed, there are around seven people seriously injured, he said.
“Some of these are life changing injuries for them and their families.”