Preparing the Road Policing Programme
We prepare a road policing programme every three years and a work programme annually setting out:
- the list of proposed police activities
- the levels of funding we recommend for those activities
- the performance measures we'll use to monitor activities
- a long-term financial forecast of anticipated revenue and expenditure.
In preparing the programme we take account of how road policing activities:
- contribute to road safety and policing strategies
- assist economic development
- assist safety and personal security
- improve access and mobility
- protect and promote public health
- ensure environmental sustainability
- align with the National Energy Efficiency and Conservation Strategy.
For example, speed enforcement lowers speeds, which leads to:
- a reduced likelihood of crashes and crash severity
- reduced fuel use
- lower emission and noise levels
- smooth flowing traffic.
Learn more about the preparation of the Road Policing Programme.
What the programme includes
The programme includes a range of policing activities all aimed at improving road safety. The table below describes the different activities.
Speed control |
Detection and deterrence of speed offending including use of speed cameras and including enforcement activities in accordance with risk |
Drinking or drugged driver control |
Detection and deterrence of drink/drug-drive offending and targeting of recidivist drink/drug-driver risk groups |
Restraint device control |
Enforcement of breaches of front and rear restraint law, including child restraints |
Visible road safety and general enforcement |
Enforcement addressing dangerous/careless driving, high-risk drivers, and the road code and traffic laws (over-taking, following distances, driver licensing, unauthorised street and illegal drag races, smoky and noisy vehicles) |
Commercial vehicle investigation and road user charges enforcement |
Risk targeted enforcement of commercial operators, drivers and vehicles for safety, road user charges, speed, load security, etc |
Crash attendance and investigation |
Management of road crashes and investigation of cause factors |
Traffic management |
Maintaining traffic flows both regular and post crash |
Resolutions |
Management of road policing sanctions, prosecutions and court orders |
Police community services |
Community road safety liaison and consultation, road safety action planning with partners and community activities |
School road safety education |
Classroom delivery of approved road safety programmes |
The National Land Transport Programme regional booklets incorporate road policing programme details including staff allocation to local authorities.
The 2009/10 work programme
The 2009/2010 work programme aims to reduce death and injuries on New Zealand roads and the social costs that result.
The programme focuses policing activity over the next three years on the 'fatal five' of speeding, drink/drug driving, restraints, dangerous/careless driving and high-risk drivers.
See a copy of the 2009/10 Road Policing Programme (external link).
Coordinating local road safety
Policing activities are but one part of the road safety effort. A combination of engineering, education and enforcement activities form the basis of our local road safety action planning with:
- regional and local authorities
- New Zealand Police
- ACC
- others with interests in road safety.
Working together at the local level provides focus, commitment and urgency in addressing and mitigating the road safety risks, especially the 'fatal five':
- Speed
- Drink driving
- Failure to give way
- Fatigue
- Safety belts.
Learn about how road safety action planning can help coordinate local road safety activity.
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