A staggering 11,222 infringements were issued in a month-long operation targeting road safety across Canterbury.

Road policing manager for Canterbury Inspector Natasha Rodley said the operation encfoced the shared responsibility for road safety ahead of the busy summer on the roads.

“As the end of the year approaches, many will no doubt be looking to capitalise on holidays and hitting the roads, we have got to emphasise the importance of road safety for everyone.

“The proof is in the numbers but yet a message we are constantly trying to get across to all our communities is slow down and wear your seatbelt.”

The Better Together project in November was a collaboration between NZ Police, NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi, and local councils in Canterbury, focusing on seat belts and speeds.

Throughout the operation, police adopted a “spot and stop” policy, where drivers were pulled over if detected speeding, and seatbelt checks were carried on the car's occupants.

It resulted in an average of 374 infringements issued per day in November.

Seatbelt and speed related infringements increased by 22% in November compared to October, Rodley said.

There were 5477 infringements issued for speeding (22% increase from October) and 673 infringements were issued for restraints (19% increase from October and 73% increase from September).

Of the 11,222 total infringements, 6.5% of the tickets were issued in Ashburton, and just under 1% in Methven.

Leading into the busy summer period, the November figures should be a reminder to all road users to expect to see police anywhere and anytime, she said.

“Our teams will be out in numbers and we want you to get to your destination safely.

“We need all road users to share the responsibility of safety whenever and wherever you are travelling.”

Ashburton Mayor Neil Brown said to stay safe on the roads these holidays, “drive to the conditions and slow down, because people make mistakes”.

By Jonathan Leask