Police are reminding road users that there will be zero tolerance for unsafe driving this Matariki holiday weekend.

“There was an unacceptable number of road deaths over King’s Birthday weekend, and we don’t want a repeat of that this weekend,” said Superintendent Steve Greally, NZ’s director of road policing.

If you are driving in a way that puts your own, or someone else’s, safety at risk, expect there to be consequences," Greally said.

“We have zero tolerance for selfish drivers gambling with other people’s lives.”

Emergency services see firsthand the devastation dangerous road behaviours cause, and the harm doesn’t end at the scene.

“One of the hardest parts of our job is knocking on a door in the middle of the night to tell a family that their loved one isn’t coming home,” Greally says.

“Matariki is a time for families to come together and be with each other – please don’t do anything which would prevent that from happening.”

Police will be out on the country’s roads in increased numbers this weekend, with the clear intention to stop and prevent unsafe driving behaviour, day and night.

Greally said police and their road safety partners are doing a lot of work to ensure the safety of everyone on the roads.

“Many of us make long journeys over long weekends. We know that tired drivers make mistakes, so take regular breaks and split the driving with someone if you can.

“Having your seatbelt on, driving to the conditions and not being distracted while driving can be the difference in walking away from a crash or being seriously injured or worse.”

Information on holiday road toll periods can be found here: Safety – Road deaths | Ministry of Transport.