Dogs And Cars Make Xmas Tough For Posties

December 8 2006

Out Of Control Dogs And Cars Make Xmas Tough For Posties

Scary dogs and careless drivers are causing more than just headaches for Posties this Christmas says New Zealand Post.

In the last 12 months 199 Posties have suffered serious injuries, resulting from time off work, because of vicious dog attacks and cars colliding with them.

“All our Posties want for Christmas is a safe one so they can enjoy their time off free of pain and discomfort,” says general manager postal delivery, Matthew Nant.

The Christmas safety wish comes at the traditional busy time when over 2000 Posties are out delivering up to 5.5 million mail items a day at the pre-Christmas peak.

Mr Nant says dogs have always been an “occupational hazard” for Posties, but the seeming growing popularity of large and aggressive dogs is making the job more dangerous and stressful.

In the last year, 95 Posties have been injured in dog attacks. These ranged from minor bites to a savage attack on a Postie which left her suffering severe injuries to her leg and having to take a considerable length of time off work.

Additionally, over the last 12 months more than 104 Posties were hit by vehicles, with 20 requiring time off work to recover from their injuries. Around half of these incidents involved people backing out of driveways.

Mr Nant says New Zealand Post works very hard to make sure Posties are as safe as they can be while on the job, but the public can help too.

“We have a comprehensive health and safety programme which aims to prevent injuries before they occur, but the number of incidents where Posties are injured through no fault of their own is concerning.

“So we are appealing to drivers to take special care when going into, or coming out of, driveways and for dog owners to make sure their fences and gates are secure and their dogs are well controlled.”

He says people can help Posties stay safe this Christmas (or anytime) by using the following easy steps, when backing out of your driveway:

- turn your head and check your blind spots are clear

- beep your horn briefly before reaching the footpath

- trim bushes that may obscure your vision in your driveway

" Posties want to enjoy the holiday season with family and friends like everyone else. What they don't need is the stress and risk of dealing with aggressive dogs and distracted drivers. Please make sure your Postie gets to enjoy Christmas this year," says Mr Nant.

ENDS

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