Whangārei pedestrian safety plea after mother and child hit on zebra crossing

Teacher Penny Honey (left) and the Lewers family, Maia, 6, Ria, Nate, 2, Ayla, 15, Hemi, 3, Natalia, 8, Dylan and Asha, 4, want better safety at the Kiripaka Rd pedestrian crossing in Tikipunga. Photo / Denise Piper

Whangārei community members are calling for more safety measures at a popular pedestrian crossing, where a mother and her child were hit by a car.

The zebra crossing on Tikipunga’s Kiripaka Rd is frequently used by pedestrians of all ages, including children walking to and from Tikipunga Primary School, said teacher and local resident Penny Honey.

But the crossing is hard to see on the busy road, which carries all the Tutukākā Coast traffic, with trees and traffic congestion often obscuring pedestrians.

A crash on the morning of December 12, resulted in two people being taken to hospital.

A man who lives just near the crossing, Dylan Lewers, said he heard a screech of car brakes and partly saw a woman go flying, then heard the woman screaming and a baby crying.

Emergency services were called, and Hato Hone St John took one patient in a moderate condition and one in a minor condition to Whangārei Hospital.

Lewers said thankfully, the māmā and her pēpi are recovering, but it could easily have been a different story.

As a father of six, he does not allow his young children to use the crossing on their own due to the number of near-misses he has witnessed.

The crash prompted Honey to start a petition, urging Whangārei District Council to improve the crossing’s safety.

She wants visibility to be improved by cutting back obstructing trees, improving lighting and making all markings and signs highly visible.

Honey would also like improvements made to the crossing’s design, such as raising the zebra crossing like the new crossings in Te Kamo, variable speed limits during school hours and potentially, lights to control pedestrians.

With congestion increasing on the road, including at the notorious Kiripaka Rd/Spedding Rd/Paramount Parade roundabout, a comprehensive safety overhaul is needed, such as replacing the whole roundabout with lights, she said.

The Kiripaka Rd pedestrian crossing in Tikipunga is partly obscured by a tree, and the flashing School Zone lights do not work. Photo / Denise Piper

Honey recently saw a car clip a young child at the zebra crossing but the child, who was riding a bike, was thrown on to grass and was unhurt. The driver did not stop, she said.

“She was okay but it was very scary,” she said.

Honey hoped to present the petition to council in the new year.

Both she and Lewers also urged drivers to be more alert and considerate to those crossing.

Whangārei District Council said it was open to improving visibility at the pedestrian crossing but said more expensive safety improvements would have to be prioritised against other long-term plan projects.

Jim Sephton, general manager of transport and community infrastructure, agreed a tree was partly obscuring views of the zebra crossing.

“We will arrange for this tree to be trimmed or removed to improve visibility.”

Sephton also agreed raised crossings and improved signs were effective safety measures, with the council’s limited funding being prioritised according to road safety needs.

“Central government no longer contributes funding for these types of crossings, so prioritisation is an essential part of the budgeting process.”

Sephton said installing traffic signals at the roundabout would only be viable if traffic volumes increased, with the cost of up to $2 million attracting only limited subsidy from NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi.

“At present, the single-lane roundabout is suitable for current traffic volumes, and there is no funding allocated in the current Long Term Plan.”

Residents can advocate for both increased crossing safety and intersection upgrades in the Long Term Plan process in 2026 and 2027, he said.

While the council continues to work with all schools on their safety plans, the legislation defines school zones as areas within 150m of the school grounds, Sephton said.

The Kiripaka Rd zebra crossing is 350m from Tikipunga Primary School, making it outside the school’s zone.

Denise Piper is a news reporter for the Northern Advocate, focusing on health and business. She has more than 20 years in journalism and is passionate about covering stories that make a difference.