No excuses for speeding this weekend

Police say they can not tolerate another killer weekend on New Zealand roads and will be coming down hard on motorists who speed over the Queen's Birthday break.

"We will be enforcing a 'no excuses' policy towards all individuals who break the speed limit this weekend. We will take action against anyone caught driving more than 4 kilometres over the posted permanent speed limit," says the National Manager of Road Policing, Superintendent Paula Rose.

During Queen's Birthday weekend in 2009, there were 6 fatal crashes and 114 reported injury crashes. These crashes resulted in 10 deaths, 32 serious injuries and 127 minor injuries.

"Our weekends are killing us. When you get behind the wheel you need to take responsibility for yourself and your passengers by making safe decisions. Road safety is everyone's responsibility and Police will be out doing their part too.

"Police do not want to spend another holiday weekend dealing with carnage on the roads, so please help us in our goal of saving lives. The most effective tool we have in the fight to keep you and your family alive is enforcement of the road rules," says Superintendent Rose. "The speed limit is just that - the limit".

Police will be out in force over the holiday period and will prosecute every driver caught more than 4km/h over the speed limit to help deter unsafe driving which puts lives at risk.

The Easter weekend road toll this year was horrific, 12 people died – the highest number in 18 years – and hundreds more were injured. This is unacceptable.

The official holiday period for Queen's Birthday for 2010 will begin at 1600 Friday 4 June and end at 0600 Tuesday 8 June.