Long-time Warkworth school bus driver says speed, phones causing drivers to cross centre line

A bus driver who uses Old State Highway 1 from Mahurangi to Warkworth says drivers are speeding, on their phones and swerving on to the opposite side of road. Photo / Google Maps

An experienced Auckland school bus driver has considered quitting the industry after fearing for his life in several near misses on his daily school run.

The driver has experienced “horrific and frightening” instances of oncoming drivers swerving and speeding towards him on the wrong side of the road.

Old SH1/Pōhuehue Rd from Mahurangi West to Warkworth in Auckland's north. Photo / Google Maps

The school bus route is on Mahurangi West Rd and Pōhuehue Rd/Twin Coast Discovery Highway between Mahurangi West and Warkworth.

The concerned driver, who wishes to remain anonymous, told the Herald it’s “only a matter of time” before the bus gets hit.

He said in the past week alone, there have been three situations where speeding and distracted drivers have crossed on to the wrong side of the narrow country road.

“It’s horrific. The cars just speed around the corners. I can’t do much because it’s narrow country lanes so there are ditches and things so I can’t pull over that far.”

The driver, who has had 50 years’ experience driving buses and trucks, recently installed his own Go-Pro dashboard camera after a near-miss with a driver who was “most likely on their phone”.

“This guy was fully in my lane ... he was looking down most probably on his phone and I had to honk.

“He looked up and looked really scared and swerved back into his lane.

“I was preparing to have to swing the bus to the left to try [to] avoid him.”

He said there were no school children on board this time, thankfully.

However, another incident happened the day after when a ute travelled at “horrendous speed” and nearly toppled as it came around a corner towards the bus full of schoolchildren.

“I thought he was being chased by the police, he was going so fast, he swung around on two wheels,” the bus driver said.

“A good half of his car was in my lane. I moved sharply to the left and slowed down and honked, he just sped off.”

The bus driver told the Herald he’s surprised none of the buses had company-provided dashcams.

He then notified the well-known Warkworth bus company about the need to install a camera.

“All they said was ‘as long as you don’t film the children,’ which of course I won’t – it’s pointed towards the road.”

The man believed tougher fines for speedsters and phone-users would help reduce accidents and near-misses.

“In Australia, they’re thousands of dollars, here they’re just $150, which is a joke because it’s not stopping people.”

The old highway, which used to have a 100km speed limit before it was downgraded to 80km, has been a hot spot for accidents in the past.

The Pūhoi to Warkworth motorway opened in June 2023 with the aim to be a newer, safer and more resilient route for drivers.