With the holiday period about to begin, road policing staff were preparing for a busy time on New Zealand roads.
The main areas of police focus would be restraints, impaired driving, speed and cellphone use, he said.
Last year, there were two deaths in the Southern policing district over the holiday period and 26 over the year.
"I’ve been to three fatal crashes myself this year.
"It’s definitely one of the most difficult things you do in this job.
"Telling family members they’ve lost a loved one is delivering a message that changes their life forever."
He said more motorists on the road at this time of year increased the risk of crashes.
"As the number of people on the road increases we do see a lot of frustrated drivers because of increased cars on the road."
Snr Sgt Kirk said police in his district usually dealt with more than 100 traffic complaints a day over the holiday period.
He said problem spots in the Southern district included roads around the Otago Lakes, the state highways from Dunedin to Christchurch and Central Otago, as well as roads leading to Milford Sound.
He called for a community effort to tackle the road safety issues.
"We can’t do it alone... If you have friends or family that have been drinking then stop them from drink-driving, make sure no-one is using their phone while driving and everyone is wearing seatbelts."
He said people could expect more police on roads and breath-testing checkpoints.
"We know that if people see us on the roads, it influences their behaviour, they will double-check their seatbelt, check their speed and put down their cellphones.
The holiday period runs from 4pm on Christmas Eve, until 6pm on January 3.
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Jeez this makes me angry. Cell phone usage is rampant. Sitting at the lights, I see drivers texting on cell phones, Walking to work, I see drivers texting on cell phones. The message doesn't seem to be getting through. The street I live on is very steep, drivers go down around the corner, at speed towards a stop sign, between tightly parked cars, and people crossing the street, driving with a cell phone lit up in their hands. I'm only home for a few short hours a day, but everytime I look out the window, I see cell phone use by drivers. Even in pouring rain, and at night......it's like an addictive drug for so many. Put ya jolly phone down and focus on your driving before you kill someone! Some simple technology could block cell phones in cars that are in motion. And no, I don't care that the passenger gets blocked too, life is to fragile as it is.