Road safety experts weigh in on messages after seven fatal crashes in Northland in one month

Road safety experts feel road safety messages are being heard but not taken to heart. Photo/ Tania Whyte

Do we always have to wait for a loved one to die to take road safety messages to heart?

The question was posed by road safety experts after Northland recorded its seventh fatality on Wednesday - two more than this time last year.

A mother and son died overnight when their car went down a bank and smashed into a tree, bursting into flames.

Emergency services were called to the crash on Otaika Valley Rd at 12.14am and upon arrival saw the Holden Commodore station wagon on fire.

Northland Serious Crash Unit analyst Warren Bunn said police believe the 86-year-old woman and her 64-year-old son were heading north when the crash took place.

Bunn said despite best efforts, firefighters and ambulance staff on-site could not save the pair. They died at the scene.

Regarding fatal crashes in general, leading road safety expert Fergus Tate felt that while people do hear road safety messages, they don’t seem to believe they impact them.

“They can’t relate to that personally as they haven’t been in such circumstances where a crash has resulted - until it happens to them or someone close to them, which is sad.”

In Tate’s experience, common bad habits that lead to a crash include speeding, occupants not wearing seatbelts, and drivers being under the influence, feeling fatigued and becoming distracted.

Figures provided by police show last year, officers issued 13,246 speed infringements, 3081 violations for not wearing a seatbelt, 1468 breath alcohol apprehensions and 967 infringements for using cellphones.

Northland road policing manager Anne-Marie Fitchett said from a police perspective, they were doing the best they could to prevent crashes and tragedies.

“But the answer solely doesn’t lie on enforcement as it’s just one part of the puzzle. There is a point where individuals within the community need to take a step forward.

“For instance, it’s better to have a tiff with a friend, urging them to follow the rules, than to attend the person’s tangi.”

Fitchett said Northland had its own set of challenges, which range from roading issues to other infrastructural requirements that often disrupt the “safe systems approach.”

For Tate, one of the biggest differences with regard to infrastructure between Northland and urban cities like Wellington is the presence of side and centre barriers.

“When crashes happen, such barriers absorb much of the impact, and their presence could be the difference between receiving minor and life-threatening injuries,” he said.

Since most Northland crashes happen when drivers lose control while taking a bend or a curve, implementing such a measure would be a good fit, Tate said.

Fitchett agreed and revealed that they had spoken with roading authority New Zealand Transport Agency Waka Kotahi over time, but it’s yet to make a final call on the matter.

“There is established research which proves that such barriers are life-saving. But then again, it’s not our call to make.”

In response to claims the region was lagging when it came to roading systems, Fitchett disagreed.

“I think in the last eight months we have done our absolute best, especially in enforcement.

“However, we cannot police everything, and it’s through the joint effort of our partner agencies and community that we can move forward for the better,” she said.

Both Tate and Fitchett felt that “now” was the time for individuals to take charge and be responsible for ensuring no other families must grieve for their loved one because of a crash.

“Let’s make sure that we remember 2024 for the right reasons, and not for such tragedies,” Fitchett said.

Avneesh Vincent is the crime and emergency services reporter at the Advocate. He was previously at the Gisborne Herald as the arts and environment reporter and is passionate about covering stories that can make a difference. He joined NZME in July 2023.