Gorge alternative routes not Tararua's highest crash areas

This car was involved in an accident with a truck on the Pahiatua Track on September 25. Photo / Tararua Police

Of the 109 reported motor vehicle accidents in Tararua from February 1 to July 26, Dannevirke had the highest number of vehicle crashes and driver complaints.

One accident in the district was fatal and there were 334 driver-related complaints in Tararua during this period.

Senior Sergeant Jymahl Glassey of the Tararua Police sub group said the alternative Manawatu Gorge routes, the Saddle Rd and Pahiatua Track, were not the district's highest crash or driver incident locations, despite what people believed.

But he acknowledged they featured in the statistics and in the case of the Woodville area, the Saddle Rd was the most frequent location of accidents.

However, the Saddle and the Track are outdone in the statistics by other locations across the district.

And Tararua District mayor Tracey Collis said inattention by motorists was the biggest cause of motor accidents.

The Tararua Alliance, working in conjunction with Horizons Regional Council, have installed six road-safety billboards around the district in relation to vehicle speed and speed-restriction enforcement and the council has undertaken minor safety improvements to local roads affected by increased traffic volumes because of the Gorge road closure.