Road safety support at Ohakune Mardi Gras

Horizons Regional Council is urging motorists to make the right decisions at this year’s Ohakune Mardi Gras, an annual street party that attracts thousands of young people from across the Horizons Region.

The party takes place on Saturday 27 June, but the Horizons road safety team will arrive Friday night to support Police check points with useful information and to remind motorists about the lower blood alcohol law.

“On Saturday we will be based in town, where we will engage with partygoers and make sure they know what to do to ensure they party safely and get home safely.”

“We will also be handing out 1500 information packs that will help motorists make informed decisions around driving, as well as items that can be used to keep the cold away from themselves and their cars. These include hand warmers, which were a big hit last year, and ice scrapers for the frosty Sunday morning windscreens.”

The team will assist at Police check points which will be set up at every exit in and out of Ohakune. Every driver will be checked for excess breath alcohol.

An integral message for the weekend is ‘R U Over it?’ reminding people how long it can take for alcohol to pass through the system before it is safe to drive.

“Two equally important messages, that will be promoted, are ‘fatigue awareness’ and ‘great mates drive sober’,” road safety coordinators say.

Due to a number of road closures across the Region relating to the recent flood event, motorists are advised to check the NZTA website www.nzta.govt.nz for information before they travel.

ENDS

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