Slow Down for Road Workers

Police say that road workers on the Christchurch Northern Motorway are pleading for motorists to slow down when passing through the temporary 70km/h road works area.

Sergeant John Hamilton of the Canterbury Highway Patrol says that speed enforcement has been carried out over the last two days in response to complaints about driver behaviour, and will continue over the next 10 weeks while work continues in the area.

This afternoon 22 motorists were issued with speeding infringements in less than an hour, with the highest recorded speed through the site being 111 km/h.

'We have real concerns for the safety of road workers who should not have to put up with being endangered by speeding motorists' says Sergeant Hamilton.

'Unfortunately this is a worrying trend at all road works sites, and there is no excuse for failing to comply with the well signposted temporary speed limits around construction sites.

All we ask is that drivers exercise common sense by obeying the speed limits in place at the time'.

Apart from being fined, drivers caught speeding by more than 50km/h above a temporary speed limit will also have their licence suspended on the spot for 28 days.