Police will monitor three Mosgiel intersections as part of a two-month campaign aimed at reducing crashes.
Officers around Otago will target driver behaviour - including those who run traffic lights, use cellphones or fail to wear seatbelts - at 23 intersections around Dunedin, Waitaki and Clutha.
Those intersections - including three in Mosgiel - were chosen as they had the highest social cost and worst crash rates across the area over the past five years.
In response to a request from Taieri Times, police confirmed
crashes at the three target intersections in Mosgiel had a social cost of $1,669,641 over the period.
Police named the intersection at Gladstone Rd South and Gladstone Rd North as being the highest social cost intersection in the Mosgiel area.
Sergeant Kevin Davidson, of Mosgiel, said there were ''safety concerns due to the high number of calls for service we have there, and we will be monitoring to ensure there will be compliance''.
Offenders would be ticketed, as ''the campaign is a compliance one, not an education one'', he said.
At the intersection, there were 21 crashes, including five injury crashes and 16 non-injury crashes, over the past five calendar years.
Most crashes at the intersection occurred as turning drivers failed to give way to non-turning traffic, and drivers followed too closely, failing to notice the vehicle in front slowing down.
Crashes at the intersection had an estimated social cost of $765,072.
Sgt Davidson said the surface at the railway line had recently been resurfaced, ''which may help'', and officers would be passing on their observations to relevant agencies.
The intersection was also used by a large number of school pupils before 9am and after 3pm, ''so it is always a concern for kids''.
The other two intersections, which police are declining to name, had a combined cost of $904,569.
Sgt Davidson said police would monitor the intersections for two months and ''if there are any issues that arise, or members of the public have any concerns, they can advise us and we can relay those to the appropriate authorities''.
And that community conversation is clearly working.
Following recent concerns about vehicles exiting from the Z petrol station and turning right on to Quarry Rd, police were able to get the exit restricted to a left turn only, preventing future traffic hold-ups, he said.
''It seems to be working quite well.''
Driving tips at intersections
• Obey the road rules
• Don't run red or orange lights
• Be aware of who is around you, whether you are a pedestrian, cyclist or in a motor vehicle
• Don't text or talk on your cellphone - it puts other drivers as well as yourself and your passengers at risk
• Be patient
SOURCE: NEW ZEALAND POLICE
