Southern District Police issued numerous infringements and ordered multiple vehicles off the road over the weekend in an operation targeting antisocial road user behaviour.

In an operation running over Friday and Saturday nights (6-7 June), Police pulled over 161 vehicles, 54 were sent for inspection, issued 12 green stickers and 16 pink stickers. Police were out in force across the Invercargill area, working to disrupt gatherings and target illegal activity.

The enforcement action was supported by VTNZ, and the operation consisted of Police staff from the Impairment Prevention Team, the Road Policing Group, and Commercial Vehicle Safety Team.

Southland Area Road Policing Manager Senior Sergeant Scott MacKenzie says district staff pulled together and worked hard over the weekend to curb any illegal behaviour and keep our communities safe.

“The number of vehicles ordered off the road really surprised us; coupled with the fact that only eight of the 54 vehicles inspected were found without any faults.

“In total the teams stopped 161 vehicles, of which those with numerous and or serious faults came in at 33.5 percent - one third of all cars stopped should not have been on the road,” Senior Sergeant MacKenzie said.

“We’ve been very clear – we have no tolerance for this behaviour and the havoc it wreaks in our communities.

Senior Sergeant MacKenzie said he and his colleagues are “all too familiar” with the devastating impacts that can occur when driving recklessly or at speed, along with the fact that many of these vehicles are unsafe to travel in.

“We’re the ones having to visit families and deliver awful news about their loved ones being involved in serious incidents resulting in injury or death.

“That’s what motivates us. We don’t want to be the people having to deliver that news. It’s absolutely tragic, and absolutely avoidable.

“Police are sending a message to anyone participating in antisocial road user behaviour – we are ready and waiting, and you can expect us to take action.”

We continue to encourage anyone who witnesses this type of activity to report it to Police.

Please call 111 if it is happening now, or you can make a report after the fact through our 105 service.

If you have information you’d like to share anonymously, please call Crime Stoppers on 0800 555 111.

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