10 May 2002

A month long urban speed campaign aims to show drivers that inappropriate and excessive speed is not only a killer on our roads but can be a killer on your pocket, said Tony Yung, Hutt City Road Safety Coordinator.

Timmy Tortoise will again be urging Hutt City drivers to reduce their speeds on local roads, reinforcing the campaign's slogan:

"Drive Safe and Steady, You'll get there"

The month long urban speed campaign runs from Monday 13th May through until Sunday 9th June and will combine a range of activities to emphasise to drivers the need to keep to the posted speed limits of an area and drive to the conditions.

In the last five years from 1997-2001, there have been 835 injury crashes on local roads, 145 of these have resulted from "driving too fast for conditions" Out of those 145 crashes, 35 were serious injury crashes and nine were fatal.

"Police will be enforcing speed through the use of hawk, eagle speed radar, laser gun, fixed and mobile speed cameras and the deployment of two roadside speed trailer units along notable speed strips," said Tony Yung.

Local police will have a zero tolerance towards drivers caught speeding. Police will not only be looking for drivers breaking the speed limit, but also motorists who are travelling too fast for conditions.

"In some conditions, the safest speed limit is well below the posted speed limit" said Inspector Dunstan, Area Controller for Lower Hutt Police.

There will be a saturation of police speed enforcement over the campaign time and drivers who fail to heed this warning will be fined anywhere between $80 to $510 and may even lose their licence for period of time.

Educational activities will include billboard, bus shelter, radio, newspaper and cinema advertising, jaws of life demonstrations by the fire service at various high schools and Welltec, distribution of flyers, stickers and posters by Timmy Tortoise, including primary school visits, a kids colouring competition and even the odd coffin out on the roads.

ENDS

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