ANDY MACDONALD/Stuff
Sergeant Kayanna Holley breath tests a driver at a checkpoint in Hāwera on Tuesday.
Police failed to find any drink-drivers among the more than 8000 motorists they stopped during a major operation spanning three North Island districts.
However, 70 infringement notices were issued to drivers for not wearing a seatbelt, using a cellphone or careless driving at the checkpoints in various places across Taranaki, Whanganui and Manuwatūon Tuesday.
It was the second day of Operation Ethos, a police campaign aimed at reducing road trauma caused by drivers impaired by alcohol or drugs, Inspector Darin Haenga, the Taranaki prevention manager, said.
“Road deaths are the second-largest cause of death due to injury in NZ and more than half of major trauma injuries treated in our hospitals are from road crashes.”
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ANDY MACDONALD/Stuff
Inspector Darin Haenga is very pleased that no drink drivers were caught on Taranaki roads during Operation Ethos on Tuesday.
On average, one person a day is killed on NZ roads, and despite police messaging and media coverage, many people were still driving after consuming excess alcohol or drugs, Haenga said.
But drivers who got distracted by cellphones, and people not wearing seatbelts also increased the road toll.
“These are both behaviours that do contribute to deaths and serious injuries, and that’s why the police are out there trying to change driver behaviour,” Haenga said.
He said Tuesday’s operation was judged a success.
“The best part of it is no-one was driving with excess breath alcohol: no-one was found across the whole district, that’s really pleasing.
“If it was like that all the time that would be great.”
More than 50 officers were involved in Taranaki, and they stopped 3635 people and issued 21 infringement notices.
Across the three regions, police stopped 8157 vehicles. They caught two people behind the wheel who were forbidden to drive, and two disqualified drivers were found in Taranaki.
ANDY MACDONALD/Stuff
Police in action stopping drivers at a checkpoint in Hāwera on Tuesday morning.
Most drivers at the checkpoints were happy to see the police, Haenga said, and staff from various roles had enjoyed getting a day out in the community to support the road policing team.
A further day of traffic checks is planned for later in the year, but the date was being kept under wraps to avoid alerting motorists, he said.
During the first Operation Ethos day on June 9, a person three times over the legal limit for alcohol was caught driving four children to school in New Plymouth.
Nine people have died on Taranaki roads so far in 2022.
