Southern district road policing manager Inspector Andrew Burns urged drivers to take extra care, particularly when travelling to and from holiday destinations.
''Police will be out and about in force monitoring traffic flows to do as much as possible to make sure everyone gets to their destination safely. We're asking all motorists to be courteous and considerate - holiday driving requires extra care and patience.''
All drivers stopped by police, whether at a checkpoint or not, would be breath-tested, Insp Burns said.
Southern police will also run checks to identify drivers under the influence of drugs, and check whether all vehicle occupants are wearing safety belts.
Insp Burns said those consuming alcohol should plan how they would get home, before they go out, and organise a taxi or sober driver.
Central Otago events in particular were expected to attract people from throughout Otago and Southland during the weekend, Insp Burns said.
The official holiday period will start at 4pm today and end at 6am on Tuesday.
Insp Burns said the high police presence on Otago and Southland roads would also comprise officers targeting speed and poor driving practices, such as inconsiderate driving which impeded traffic flow.
''It's important that if you're driving, you're alert to what is occurring around you. If there's traffic starting to build up behind you, there's no need to speed up - look for somewhere safe to slow down before indicating to the left and slowing to allow vehicles behind you to pass.''
Last Easter, three people were seriously injured and six received minor injuries as a result of incidents on Otago and Southland roads.
Nationally, 102 crashes involved injury, of which 24 were serious, and the total social cost was estimated at $24 million.
More than half the crashes last Easter occurred on the ''open road'', Insp Burns said.
This year, a lower speed tolerance will also be enforced during the holiday period.
Anyone driving at more than 4km over the speed limit could receive an infringement notice.
