'The new Tauranga Eastern Link road is not a racetrack.” That's the message from police, who are concerned someone will be killed or seriously injured if drivers don't start heeding this warning.

Since the stretch of State Highway 2 between Te Maunga and Domain Road opened up in May, speeding has become a daily issue for police.

Senior Sergeant Ian Campion is worried a serious crash will happen on the new Tauranga Eastern Link if people don't slow down. Photo: File.

Senior Sergeant Ian Campion says: 'We are not just talking about drivers whose speed has drifted up a notch through lack of concentration; we are talking about high speeds, well in excess of the limit, and in most cases these appear to be deliberate acts.”

For approximately four years, while this 6km stretch of the TEL was being constructed, the area was subject to narrow lanes and speed restrictions.

'The environment of undulating, narrow lanes, and substantial traffic volumes kept speeds in check,” says the Western Bay of Plenty road policing manager.

'Now motorists are faced with this four lane, open stretch of road and this seems to have translated into complete disregard for safe speeds by a number of drivers.

'If this carries on it will only be a matter of time before someone is seriously injured or worse.”

The project is due to be completed shortly with the opening of the remainder of the TEL, and police are encouraging everyone who uses the road to make safety their number one priority.

Ian says police will be paying extra attention to the TEL and people caught travelling at unsafe speeds can expect to be fined, could incur demerit points and could potentially lose their licence.

The NZ Transport Agency's Bay of Plenty highways manager Niclas Johansson says the TEL had been designed to reduce death and serious injury crashes in the region, but people need to play their part and travel at safe speeds.

'We're working hard with police, the AA and our other road safety partners to create a safe transport system where no-one is killed or seriously injured due to a simple mistake,” says Niclas.

'To create that safe system we need safe roads, safe vehicles, safe road use and safe speeds.

'In this case we have provided a four-and-a-half star motorway designed to significantly improve safety on this route.

'Now it is up to people using the road to do their part and drive at safe speeds to ensure everyone is safety.”

On Sunday, July 12, five motorists were caught driving in excess of 117km/h.

These were both cars and motorcycles and ranged from an 18-year-old male on a restricted licence through to a woman in her 60s.

The following day, four motorists were caught driving in excess of 125km/h and ranged from a male learner driver though to an experienced female driver in her 40s.

Police will not be disclosing the precise speeds or the top speed.