Intersection crashes in the spotlight

Taupo District Council is launching a month-long road safety campaign aimed at reducing the number of crashes at intersections.

The Council has identified the town’s worst three intersections and wants to raise the community’s awareness of the dangers at these junctions in particular. The intersections are Heu Heu and Titiraupenga, Tamamutu and Titiraupenga, and Tamamutu and Kaimanawa.

Council’s Road Safety Coordinator Christine Hutchison launched this month’s intersection safety campaign which focuses on promoting key safety tips. She urges motorists to take another look at intersections.

“The risks many driver take at intersections, like nipping into small gaps between oncoming traffic, should not be an option, even if you are running late. We’re all in a hurry from time to time, but I urge Taupo motorists to not let this affect the care they take at intersections. As the current TV campaigns say, bad calls at intersections can be deadly,” she says.

Senior Sergeant Murray Hamilton is right behind the campaign as he says the Taupo urban area has the unenviable title of having the highest volume of crashes in Bay of Plenty.

“Crashes could be prevented if motorists stopped and had a second check rather than relying on a quick glance. Sometimes vehicles and cyclists are hidden by different things. The morning sun can cause sun strike and poor winter weather can reduce visibility,” he says.

The local campaign includes billboards installed at key intersections to caution motorists, a radio advertising campaign and a road safety quiz to ensure people are aware of intersection rules. Look out for the quiz in local papers and service stations. A prize draw will be held at the end of June.