Police Update: Watch speed over holiday season

POLICE UPDATE

JULIA WADE

5 Dec, 2022

With the Christmas holiday season right around the proverbial corner, local law enforcement would like to remind Mangawhai that while they are enjoying themselves this festive season, to also take care and follow the well-known safety rules.

Starting with traffic, Wellsford/Mangawhai senior constable Dale Wewege says police have been receiving a lot of complaints of speeding drivers lately, especially along the Molesworth Drive stretch between the Village and Mangawhai Central, where Kaipara District Council have made recent changes to the speed limit.

“Every speeding person that police have stopped on this part of the road use the excuse that it use to be 80kph. Yes, it was 80 in the past but there is no sign saying it is 80 now, and the last sign you see is a 50kph so everyone needs to keep going 50,” he says. “The council have taken down the 80kph sign and put up new speed signs in this area and a few weeks ago, we asked them to put up 50kph signposts as well as paint the limit on the road to remind drivers.”

Under the influence

Police are also still seeing many locals who are not belted up in their car Wewege says, ‘if you wear your seatbelt police won’t need to stop you on your journey’, and urges drivers to not use mobile phones while behind the wheel.

“Most of the fatal or serious crashes we attend are due to impaired drivers from either alcohol and drugs, speeding and distraction from using their mobile phones,” he says. “There is going to be many Christmas parties coming up soon, so people need to plan their party and make sure they have a sober driver or be the sober driver on the day or night of the party or use the courtesy vehicles which are provided at the local pubs and venues. There will be extra police staff up in Mangawhai over the period to assist in keeping the roads safe so it’s just not worth the risk of driving under any influence.”

Locals and visitors alike can also help keep the roads safer by reporting careless or dangerous driving to *555 ‘immediately, if possible’.

“Try and obtain a registration plate if you can because that assists us in following up with the owner of the vehicle if we don’t find them on the day.”

To report a historic or a non–urgent incident, people need to call 105, and of course for all urgent matters dial 111.

Property crime

“The other topic I want to highlight is property crime. As we all know, Mangawhai expands quadruple with the amount of holiday makers who visit this time of the year, and there are opportunists who will pounce on property lying around and not put away in a secured place. Police have a simple term, lock it or lose it, so put your valuables in the boot out of sight,” Wewege says. “Besides all of that, the Mangawhai and Wellsford police wish all of you a safe and happy Christmas season.”

New speed limits along Molesworth Drive are clearly signposted and painted on the road. PHOTO/JULIA WADE