Paranormal promotion for police

The stars of Jemaine Clement and Taika Waititi’s Wellington Paranormal TV show have been summoned to spread the police’s summer road safety message.

The first in a series of four videos was released on Wednesday featuring Officers O’Leary and Minogue from the What We Do In The Shadows TV spinoff, delivering the ‘‘make it click’’ message as an irate zombie lurches around the back of a police patrol car.

‘‘We’re always thinking about different ways to get our messages across, and this year we thought we’d try to get the serious messages across with a bit of paranormal humour,’’ national manager of road policing Superintendent Steve Greally said.

Almost a third of people who die on our roads were not wearing seatbelts, Greally said.

‘‘It’s heartbreaking to know there will be families out there missing their loved ones this Christmas, loved ones who may still be here if they had been wearing seatbelts.

‘‘The fact is, if you make a mistake on the road your seatbelt could be the thing that saves your life. Do you want to take your chances without it? Please make sure you buckle up before you start moving.’’

That included making sure the kids were properly restrained, and pets. Greally said every life in a car was the responsibility of the driver.

‘‘As a parent, a friend, a spouse, as a human being – it’s on your shoulders to get everybody where they are going safely. Buckle up, it could save your life.’’

The police’s 2017/18 annual report shows fatal and serious injury crashes have increased steadily for the past five years.