Canterbury Police are gearing up for what is expected to be a busy weekend

Canterbury Police are gearing up for what is expected to be a busy weekend
on the roads. Labour Weekend, being the first public holiday of the summer, is traditionally the first opportunity for most families to get away after a long, wet winter.
Senior Sergeant Neville Hyland of Canterbury Highway Patrol says that Police will be out in numbers to monitor driver behaviour.
'We'll be ensuring that traffic keeps moving, is safe, and that drivers are considerate.'
Drivers are advised to watch their speed and their following distances, and to be aware of the dangers of fatigue.
'Plan your trip so you are not driving to a tight deadline and give yourself time for breaks,' advises Senior Sergeant Hyland. 'Please have patience with other drivers.'
Drivers who are towing, or driving a motor home, will usually be travelling slower than the main stream of traffic and are asked to watch for traffic building up behind them.
'Slower drivers must watch behind and when they see a build up, are asked to pull over safely at the first available opportunity and let traffic through. This will reduce potential frustration and risk taking by drivers trying to overtake slower vehicles.'
The Fire Service will also be taking up prominent positions on some of the main routes through the region to highlight potential dangers. Area Commander South Canterbury, Paul Henderson, says the fire service quite literally has to pick up the pieces from many motor vehicle collisions and this can be quite a traumatic experience for all concerned. 'Our wish therefore is for us to have a crash free Labour Weekend and hence we will be working closely with the Police over this busy period in an effort to promote safe driving'.

Neville Hyland
Senior Sergeant
Canterbury Highway Patrol
Paul Henderson
Area Commander South Canterbury
Fire Service