During Road Safety Week this week, Hawke’s Bay drivers are being urged to slow down, stay focused and wear seatbelts, after new regional data shows dozens of everyday unsafe driving behaviours are being observed on local roads.

Through the RoadSafe programme – a partnership of the five Hawke’s Bay councils led by Hawke’s Bay Regional Council’s Transport Team – RoadSafe staff and NewZealand Police have observed 74,284 vehicles over the past two years during spotting checkpoint activity in high traffic locations across Hastings and Napier.

Monitoring has focused on busy routes including Heretaunga Street, Pakowhai Road and Omahu Road in Hastings, and Latham Street and Hyderabad Road in Napier, with observations revealing consistent non compliance with basic safety rules.

The most common unsafe behaviours recorded were:

• Drivers using a mobile phone: 978 observations (around 1.32%, or 13.17 per 1,000 vehicles)

• Drivers not wearing a seatbelt: 723 observations (around 0.97%, or 9.73 per 1,000 vehicles)

• Speed infringements recorded: 270 observations (around 0.36%, or 3.63 per 1,000 vehicles)

Councillor Neil Kirton, Chair of the Regional Transport Committee, says the data highlights the need for drivers to take greater responsibility for their own behaviour behind the wheel.

“RoadSafe does important education and prevention work across Hawke’s Bay, but the reality is safety on our roads comes down to everyday choices drivers make,” Cr Kirton said.

“Using a phone, not wearing a seatbelt or driving too fast might seem minor in the moment, but these are the behaviours that put lives at risk. If we want fewer serious injuries and deaths, drivers need to do better.”

The message has been underscored nationally by NewZealand Police, who have reported a recent spike in road fatalities across the country. Police say 18 people were killed in 14 crashes since 20 April, with 12 more deaths nationally compared with the same time last year, many occurring on open roads with higher speed limits and limited safety barriers.

Closer to home, Hawke’s Bay has also felt the impact, following a fatal crash on State Highway2 in Takapau late last month, a tragedy that reinforces how quickly lives can be lost on familiar local roads.

Cr Kirton says the national context reinforces what is already being seen locally.

“Police are very clear that many of these deaths are preventable.

Our local observations show the same risk factors playing out every day on Hawke’s Bay roads. Road Safety Week is a reminder that slowing down, buckling up and staying focused can save lives.”

Road Safety Week runs throughout this week and is supported by councils, Police, RoadSafe and community partners across Hawke’s Bay. The message remains simple and urgent: slow down, wear your seatbelt, put the phone away and get home safely.

Councillor Louise Parsons, Deputy Chair of the Regional Transport Committee, says RoadSafe Hawke’s Bay invests in education and community engagement across the region.

“Across Hawke’s Bay we’re delivering road safety education in schools through expos, supporting families through car seat clinics, running fatigue stops for drivers on key routes, and partnering with employers to improve road safety practices in the workplace,” Cr Parsons says.

“These programmes are about building safer habits before people even get behind the wheel and supporting drivers to make better choices every day. We all have a role in road safety education to reduce harm on our roads.”

© Scoop Media