6 - Road Policing

Question 1

What is a ‘critical incident’

Answer 1

A ‘critical incident’ includes situations where:
• force or the threat of force is involved
• any person faces the risk of serious harm
• Police are responding to people in the act of committing a crime.

Question 2

Overriding principle urgent duty driving

Answer 2

The overarching principle is that public and police employee safety takes precedence over the necessity to undertake urgent duty driving.

Question 3

Additional principles urgent duty driving

Answer 3

• public and police employee safety must be prioritised
• urgent duty driving must be conducted in the safest possible manner
• enforcement officers must drive at a speed and manner appropriate to the circumstances
• enforcement officers are individually legally responsible for their actions
• enforcement officers will use the threat assessment tool (eg TENR), and
• category A vehicles are preferred for urgent duty driving as they are more visible.

Question 4

Section 35 – Temporary closing of roads

Answer 4

(2) In this section,—
road has the meaning given in section 315(1) of the Local Government Act 1974 except that it includes—
(a) a motorway within the meaning of section 2 of the Transit New Zealand Act 1989; and
(b) a private road within the meaning of section 315(1) of the Local Government Act 1974; and
(c) a private way within the meaning of section 315(1) of the Local Government Act 1974