The following media release comes from the New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA).
We are looking at ways to make Wainui Road and State Highway 2, from the outskirts of Ōhope to Ōpōtiki, safer for everyone. This project is part of the Safe Roads and Roadsides programme that is underway to prevent people from dying or being seriously injured on our rural roads.
Something has to change
There are proven ways we can upgrade the road to prevent more crashes like these from happening again, but to get it right, we need your help. After all, it’s locals who know their roads best.
What safety measures are we considering?
People will always make mistakes, but there are things that we can do to make this stretch of road safer. For example, we could:
- Widen the shoulders to give drivers more room to recover if they lose control or have to take evasive action
- Install safety barriers to stop drivers running off the road
- Install rumble strips to give distracted drivers a wake-up call
- Improve intersections that have known problems
Regardless of what causes a crash, speed always plays a part so we will be looking at whether the speed limit accurately reflects how risky the road is for the people who use it every day.
What’s happening, and when?
We are looking at early 2018 to start work on installing safety treatments. We will be talking to people in the community, to help us create solutions that will work for everyone.