NZTA has announced that its construction season will be from October 2015 through to April 2016, so State Highway roadwork is on again. Good timing, then, for the international ‘Slow down – my dad works here’ campaign to hit NZ. Infrastructure provider Fulton Hogan has adopted this campaign. “All our team deserve to get home safe to our families every night,” a spokesman said in an anti-speeding press release.

We have always known there was a partnership between the NZ Police and the NZTA. That partnership has now become even more visible with NZ Police attending roadwork sites on the state highways in Northland. Around Albany in particular, there have been a lot of reports of high risk driving. When you hit the Albany Highway, you’ll occasionally run into 30kmh speed limits. Frustrating, sure, but without the maintenance to our highways, we wouldn’t be a first world country.

Many of us drive the highways and we see the construction guys out there on the hot sunny days. We’ll rumble through the construction area and often pay them no mind. Realistically, do we actually keep to the 30 or 50kmh speed limit? There are consequences if we don’t.

NZ Police want to lessen the number of accidents on roadwork sites and are making a huge effort to be in force over this time period – so they’re asking you to please keep to the posted speed to keep our workers safe on the road. As one senior sergeant put it in a Police press release, “The people working here are simply earning a living and they shouldn’t be put at unnecessary risk just because someone is running late, is annoyed at the road works, or simply chooses to ignore the lowered speed limit.

“Even more concerning are those drivers who have been overtaking in dangerous circumstances to pass motorists who are abiding by the speed limit.

“The lowered speed limit is there to keep our road free of death and serious injury and anyone travelling along this road can expect to see Police at any time”.

Police are enforcing that warning, too, handing out infringement notices for people exceeding construction zone speed limits.  So slow down, chill out, and spare a thought for the workers out in the sun and dust, serving you and your vehicle.