Road Safe HB, (CVIU) Police, Horizon's Road Safety Coordination and the Transport Association joined forces to provide a a Health & Safety Checkpoint at Matamau Diver.  The purpose of the truck stop was to provide a 'driver health check and also for Police to discuss log books and driver safety with the drivers.  The event was very well received by the drivers who took part in the health check

Senior Constable Iain Cheyne, New Zealand Police and Linda Anderson, Regional Manager, Road Safe Hawkes Bay attended the Road Safety Research, Policing and Education Conference 2013 (400 people attended from around the world attended) in Brisbane to promote the youth alcohol education resource “Just Another Saturday Night”.  This was an opportunity to join the international road safety partners and profile the global issue of serious and fatal crashes. 

The education resource has been developed by Linda and Iain.  The resource features a crash that occurred in 2007 on a road between Napier and Hastings (Hawkes Bay) that occurred in 2007 when 4 young men met up, consumed alcohol, got into their car and headed to the ‘Speedway’.  During this journey Willy the driver reached the speed of 180km hour, he approached a sharp bend that had a speed advisory of 55km hour.  The driver lost control of the vehicle and crashed  into a tree…..their lives where to never be the same.  Richard died, Te Eru and Willy lay critically injured and Jared was trapped in the extensively damaged vehicle which also caught on fire. For further information please see www.jaredsmessage.co.nz.  Other risk factors included excessive speed, un-restrained vehicle occupents, the condition of the car and tyres, which are all to common in a significant number of vehicle crashes. 

These crash types are not specific to New Zealand drivers, this is a global issue, “Youth, alcohol and impaired driving is a global issue.” “A significant proportion of the disease burden attributable to harmful drinking arises from the unintentional and intentional injuries, including those due to road traffic accidents, violence and suicides.  Fatal injuries attributable to alcohol consumption tend to occur relatively younger age groups”.  (World Health Organisation: Media Centre-Alcohol Fact Sheet February 2011)