Ride along with the officers who patrol the twists and turns of tarmac that is Auckland, New Zealand’s motorway network.
The Auckland Harbour Bridge is a landmark stretching across the harbour, and a must-see for tourists. This season it’s also a magnet for drunk drivers. One whips down some whiskey chasers before bashing his car into the side barriers. Another travels the wrong way, going head-to-head with other cars at the crest of the bridge. It’s all caught on motorway CCTV.
Two wheeled vehicles cause chaos in the lanes. There’s a scooter rider who’s about to get flattened, a moped rider who’s rapid deflating and has lost his shoes, and an unlicenced biker who’s fleeing police, starting a manhunt.
Fatigue plays a role in crashes and near misses this year. A sleepy gent has driven all the way from the city of Christchurch to Auckland – 1000 kilometres without a break. He’s swerving so badly other motorists report him as a potential drunk driver. Another man nods off in rush-hour, and bumper-bashes another car. He’s lucky the traffic was only crawling.
Road rage rears its ugly head this time on Motorway Patrol. Cutting off another vehicle when merging sees a driver get a fist to the face. Horrified witnesses catch it on camera. Two commuters jockey and jostle, brake-checking and abusing each other as they drive recklessly through the Victoria Park Tunnel, until the police step in to mediate.
We feel the magic of the holiday season when officers intercept a car decked out in fairy lights. Next, we meet an actual magician, but no amount of smoke and mirrors will make his ticket disappear.
Stolen cars, lost puppies, flying carpets, and angry men with mullets: There’s plenty to catch your eye this season on Motorway Patrol.