Driver inattention causes road chaos

CARNAGE: Three vehicles involved in a crash were extensively damaged and a clear illustration of what police say was driver inattention.PHOTOS/JOHN STONE

Police say three extensively damaged vehicles involved in a crash on a major Northland highway was a graphic illustration of driver inattention and has prompted a plea for drivers to stay focused ahead of the busiest time of the year on the region's roads.

The crash, involving six people, including two young children, happened outside the main gate to Croft for Poles on State Highway 1, at Kauri about 10am yesterday.

It comes only two days after a fatal crash near Whakapara, which killed a woman in her 60s, when two cars collided on SH1 on Tuesday. After an initial survey of yesterday's scene officers said it appeared a north facing silver-coloured Daihatsu had been stationary and about to turn into the driveway of Croft for Poles. A Nissan flatdeck ute, also northbound, appeared to have struck the rear of the stationary car, crushing the boot and pushing it of the road. A southbound Mazda vehicle also collided with the ute.

Firefighters were called to the scene and had to cut the roof off the Mazda to free a man and a woman, who were taken to Whangarei Hospital. A young girl, who was in a child seat in the front of the ute, was also taken to hospital.

The driver, and sole occupant of the turning car walked away with minor cuts. The highway was closed while emergency services freed the motorists, towed away the vehicles and swept the road surface. It was reopened just before midday.

Acting road policing manger for Northland Police, Inspector Wayne Ewers was at yesterday's scene and said motorists needed to be extra careful on the roads with the summer season approaching, which meant more traffic on the roads.

"Concentration when driving is so important. There are so many distraction inside and outside a vehicle when you are driving. it takes only a split second on inattention to have disastrous consequences."

The road toll for Northland stands at 19, equalling last year's total total. At the same time last year, 13 people had died on Northland roads. Next week the summer road policing campaign will begin, which will see the lowering of the speed threshold to 4km/h for December and January in an effort to reduce the holiday road toll. Mr Ewers confirmed Northland police staff would be involved in a number of operations targeting road users during the campaign.

The speed threshold will be lowered to 4km/h on December 1 and will run until the end of January and all motorists pulled over by police cars should expect to be breath-tested. Last year there were 50 road deaths during the holiday period, up from 42 in 2013. The worst December-January road toll recorded in the past 25 years was 124 deaths in 1990.