Police in Western Southland are teaming up with a local business to remind motorists to slow down, using coffee cups as an unexpected road safety message.
Lumsden Police have partnered with The Coffee Bomb, a popular roadside coffee caravan in Garston, to place safety stickers on takeaway cups served to drivers travelling along State Highway 6. The initiative targets the large number of visitors passing through the area en route from Queenstown to Fiordland and Milford Sound.
Senior Sergeant Peter Graham said nearly one million motorists travel through Lumsden and surrounding areas each year, many of them tourists unfamiliar with what he described as some of New Zealand’s most challenging roads.
The stickers, which read “Welcome to Western Southland. Max speed 100, drive safely,” are seen by around 500 drivers a day who stop at The Coffee Bomb. Police say the approach allows them to reach motorists they might not otherwise interact with.
Graham reminded drivers that speed limits are not targets and that motorists should slow down when conditions are poor to allow time to react to hazards.
He thanked local officers and The Coffee Bomb owners, including retired constable Will and his wife Aroha, for supporting the initiative. Police say they will continue looking for “creative ways” to promote road safety and encourage the public to report dangerous driving via 111 or 105.
