Hawke’s Bay Police impound 41 cars in a week

Hawke’s Bay Police have been busy keeping the region’s roads safe from anti-social driver behaviours (street racers) and drink drivers.

Forty-two cars were impounded by Hawke’s Bay Police between 17 and 23 February – 18 for anti-social road user behaviours (street racing) and 23 for alcohol or driver licensing offences.

In a normal week, around 25 cars would be impounded.

‘We can almost certainly attribute the increase in impounded cars to the increased police presence on our roads and in our communities. Many of our roads have been severely impacted by the cyclone, and people are focussed on the clean-up and recovery. Removing vehicles and drivers who pose a risk to others, particularly at this time, is an important part of our focus to keep people safe,’ said Eastern District Road Policing Manager, Inspector Matt Broderick.

‘We understand that people are facing really difficult circumstances right now, however, we cannot condone getting behind the wheel of a car after drinking.’

If you are in any doubt about whether or not you’re safe or legal to drive, Police’s advice is simple – don’t do it.

Motorists can expect to be stopped anywhere, anytime and will be breath tested.

‘We will continue to have a highly visible presence on our roads, especially while we recover from the impacts of Cyclone Gabrielle.

‘We urge anyone who sees any concerning driving behaviour to report it to Police immediately.

‘We continue to encourage people to only undertake necessary travel and thank the public for their cooperation on this.’

If you do need to travel, we urge drivers to keep their speed down, drive to the conditions and allow plenty of time for your journey.