Steve Greally
Otago and Southland appear to have avoided any fatal crashes over the Christmas holiday period, which began at 4pm on December 24 and ended at 6am today.
By the time the Otago Daily Times went to press last night, 12 fatalities had been recorded on New Zealand roads.
However, another person died after a car went off a bank in Havelock North at about 10pm, bringing the road toll to 13.
It is a little more than half the 2023-24 Christmas holiday road toll of 22.
For the year 2024, a provisional total of 291 road deaths were recorded on New Zealand roads.
Of those, 15 were in Otago and five were in Southland.
The provisional number of nationwide road deaths in 2024 was down from 341 in 2023, and 371 in 2022.
Although there had been a reduction in the number of families being torn apart by road deaths this past year, police said any number was still too high.
Road policing director Superintendent Steve Greally said police were doing everything they could to help bring the numbers down.
He said police had more than doubled the number of alcohol breath tests conducted over the past couple of years, and were on track to conduct more than 4million by the end of the financial year in June 2025.
The police had also had the same focus on speed enforcement.
Since December 2022, when the police launched Operation Open Roads, New Zealand had had a significant reduction in death and serious injury, he said.
"Our frontline is passionate about preventing serious crashes, so if you are one of those people who is determined to put people's lives at risk and you are caught, you should not expect a warning."
Earlier this week, Supt Greally said the police and other emergency services throughout New Zealand were "incredibly frustrated" by the number of serious injury crashes and fatal crashes they had attended over the holiday period.
He said road deaths and serious injuries were preventable.
"We all need to do better, and stop accepting people dying on our roads is what happens when driving.
"We have seen over time that our enforcement action has proven to deter people from driving dangerously.
However, road safety is something we must all take responsibility for.
"We should all play our part to be safe on our roads, because so far, too many families have received tragic news this holiday period.
"What we need is for drivers to do their bit, and that's to consciously make sensible decisions before they get behind the wheel, and when they're on the road."
Supt Greally said the role of the motorist was "very simple".
"Ensure everyone in your vehicle is safely buckled up, drive at a safe speed for the conditions under the speed limit, put your cellphone away, and ensure you're driving free of fatigue, alcohol and drugs."
Police are urging those travelling over the summer period to take heed of this advice, have patience, and get to where they are going safely.
The final Christmas holiday road toll will be released today.
