1News can reveal the laying of road spikes has contributed to more than 50 police officers being injured since 2018.
According to data obtained through an Official Information Act request, more than 50% of the 52 injuries have been in the last two years.
Among 12 injuries in 2022 was an officer left in a critical condition after being struck by the vehicle he was trying to stop.
A very similar incident a year earlier also left an officer in hospital. It was one of 15 related injuries in 2021.
Police were only able to search records from the start of 2018, but back in 2008 Sergeant Derek Wootton was tragically killed while laying road spikes.
He was struck as the vehicle went over the spikes he'd laid in a suburban street in Porirua. He died at the scene.
The Police Association has long called for the manual spikes to be replaced with remotely controlled ones.
"The prevalence of injuries to police officers during the deployment of road spikes remains a serious concern to the Police Association," president Chris Cahill said.
Police said it deploys the tyre deflation tool 500-600 times a year.
"These are fast moving, high risk situations in which officers have to act quickly in an attempt to immobilise a dangerous offender and can be injured suddenly," Cahill said.
The association believes remotely deployed devices will substantially reduce the risk to officers.
More than 50 officers have been injured in the last few years while deploying them to stop fleeing drivers. (Source: 1News)
"We understand police has tendered for the replacement of the old spikes and from the association's position, they cannot come soon enough," Cahill said.
New Zealand Police would not do an interview with 1News but the Official Information Act response reveals it is "undertaking a programme of work to procure new remotely deployable tyre deflation devices".
It said it wants to do procure the remote options so officers do not need to be as close to the roadside as they currently are.
In a further statement it acknowledged its "duty of care" to ensure officers are safe.
1News understands that finding the right remote alternative is currently proving difficult.
Stuart Nash, who has just stepped back into the Police Minister role after previously holding the position from 2017-2020, attended the graduation of 54 new constables at Police College today.
He said he is well aware of the road spike issue.
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The data released to 1News shows more than 10,000 have been injured on the job since 2018. The majority occurred while officers were carrying out an arrest or attempting to.
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