Deb Hann
This week I’d like to introduce the new Cambridge Station Support Officer, Lauren Fletcher.
Deb Hann
Lauren joins us from outside police and brings experience from roles centred on caring for and supporting people. A lifelong Cambridge local, she is married with four children. One of her favourite things to do is to head to Mount Maunganui to walk and relax, with a nice dinner out afterwards. As her husband is a high-ranking speedway saloon driver, family summers feature travel to race meetings around the North Island. We welcome Lauren to the team.
Fieldays is now underway at Mystery Creek, bringing an influx of visitors and traffic into Waipā. With winter conditions setting in, please take extra care on the roads. Drive to the conditions, stay alert to what’s happening around you, be patient and prepared for delays. Allow extra travel time. Even without these traffic pressures, over the seven days to Monday this week Cambridge police had attended seven traffic crashes, while Te Awamutu staff dealt with four.
There were some good local traffic catches in the last week. Last Friday, Police received reports of a vehicle driving dangerously as it travelled from Tauranga though to Cambridge. It was stopped on Tīrau Rd, where breath alcohol testing of the driver returned a result over four times the legal limit. Te Awamutu Strategic Traffic staff also stopped a second impaired driver in a rural area, who again returned a high reading four times the legal limit. Making a hat trick, another vehicle was observed travelling at speed on a rural road in wet conditions. The driver’s increasing speed then caused him to lose control, and he now faces driving charges in court.
E-bikes vs E-dirt bike
Finally, police nationwide are seeing increasing numbers of young people illegally riding high-powered e-dirt bikes.
An e-bike is bicycle with a motor that helps you pedal and riders are not required to hold a licence.
It is not a legal e-bike if it has a power output of more than 300W or can move without pedalling. (limited throttle only start for stability prior to pedalling is permitted). In that case, the rider must hold some form of driving licence.
Electric and petrol dirt bikes and “choppers” without pedals (which are a moped or motorcycle) and pedal assisted mopeds are not classified as e-bikes.
Similarly , if the speed capacity is 50kph or less it’s a moped – over 50kph and it’s a motorbike.
Before purchasing, parents and caregivers should understand the legal requirements and also that many devices being sold today cannot be used in public places such as roads and footpaths. Further information may be found on the NZTA website.