Increased visibility of police on southern roads and targeted safety campaigns have contributed to a declining annual road toll in the South over the past few years, but southerners could still drive more safely, police say.
Visibility of police on Southland and Otago roads was clearly having a positive effect and that would continue through 2010, but it would take a commitment on the part of members of the public to really make a dent in the road toll, Southern police district road policing manager Inspector Andrew Burns said.
"It is really going to take an attitude change and for people to start taking responsibility for their driving habits."
Twenty-eight people were killed in 24 crashes on roads south of the Waitaki River last year.
The figure compares with 33 deaths in 2008 and 35 in 2007, but is up on the 2005 total of 22 deaths.
The total was moving in the right direction, but this was not cause for complacency from police, or from the public.
"We need to keep on pushing it down."
Dangerous or careless driving, such as crossing the centre line or not giving way, was the most common factor in fatal crashes, and was usually in combination with the next most common factor, speed, and/or alcohol or high-risk drivers (disqualified drivers etc).
Invercargill was the biggest problem area for southern police, with the number of fatal crashes there tripling from three in 2008 to nine last year.
Most of the Invercargill fatalities were young people and involved speed or alcohol.
Added pressure would be put on those areas this year, but change would not occur without people taking responsibility for the way they were driving, Insp Burns said.
That included the young people as well as those who were setting the examples for them.
"We need people to say enough is enough."
Research proved the more visible police were on the roads, the better behaved drivers were, so police would maintain in 2010 the pressure they had been putting on drivers for the past year.
"We're not going to be stepping back from it. We will be committed to the same zero-tolerance policing."
