Auckland's Motorway Network is not a playground

The actions of people on Auckland's southern motorway are being described as those of people with a death wish.

Footage filmed on the southern motorway last month at 11 pm, just north of Takanini, shows a group of approximately three people throwing rocks and a chair at passing cars and trucks. One person then lies down in the lanes in front of oncoming traffic.

Senior Constable Stu Kearns of the North Shore/Waitakere/Rodney Serious Crash Unit attends fatal crashes on the motorway network involving pedestrians.

"Lying down on the motorway at night in front of the lights of oncoming cars is the action of someone who wants to have themselves killed and possibly others at the same time. How anyone could conceive of this as fun is beyond me."

The responsibility of Police is to maintain a motorway network where the traffic flows safely and efficiently but actions like this puts lives at risk.

In the footage a number of vehicles slow down and there is almost several nose to tail crashes as a result. Police were called but the group dispersed onto land next to the motorway.

Each month Police are called to deal with approximately 150 pedestrians on the motorway network. Senior Constable Kearns says. "Roads are designed for the movement of cars, not people and walking on the motor way is a short cut to death, not a fast way home.

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